Quirky bunny on Mandela statue causes stir

[The Straight Story]

JOHANNESBURG — A new, 29.5-foot sculpture of Nelson Mandela is billed as the biggest statue of the South African leader. It also has a tiny, barely visible quirk: a sculpted rabbit tucked inside one of the bronze ears.

South African officials want the miniature bunny removed from the statue, which was unveiled outside the government complex in Pretoria, the capital, on Dec. 16, a day after Mandela's funeral. The department of arts and culture said it didn't know the two sculptors, Andre Prinsloo and Ruhan Janse van Vuuren, had added a rabbit, said to be a discreet signature on their work.

Related: World mourns death of Nelson Mandela

The bronze rabbit, sitting on its haunches with one floppy ear, is about half the height of the ear canal.

...

Earlier this week, South Africa's Beeld newspaper quoted the artists as saying they added the rabbit as a "trademark" after officials would not allow them to engrave their signatures on the statue's trousers. They also said the rabbit represented the pressure of finishing the sculpture on time because "haas" — the word for rabbit in the Dutch-based Afrikaans language — also means "haste."


http://news.msn.com/offbeat/quirky-bunny-on-mandela-statue-causes-stir-1

[MADem]

1. I say leave the rabbit--the laborer is worthy of his hire.

I think Madiba would want people to have their efforts recognized, and this is a way to do it that isn't immediately obvious, but has a history that will grow more interesting as time passes.

[Kelvin Mace]

2. I think Mandiba would have LOVED it

I can see him laughing out loud at the thought of a statue of himself with a bunny in his ear.

[silverweb]

4. Absolutely!

[distantearlywarning]

3. Artist's prerogative

It's a time-honored tradition for artists to "sign" their work with a small, hidden, quirky thing. I can't believe these people are making a fuss about this.