An explosive smile
A remnant of World War II and an icon of a Taranaki community has been vandalised with a smiley face.
On Saturday residents of Mokau, a small town of 500 on the North Taranaki border, woke up to find their red mine, which is on display in the middle of the community, had been turned into a giant yellow grin.
Resident Rae Tissot, who lives 50 metres from the mine, said the new look had made her chuckle. ‘‘It’s winter, life can get a little dreary and it made me smile.
‘‘I use it as a reference point for people and no one knows where I mean but now I can say ‘turn at the smiley face’.
‘‘I’d like one at each end of town,’’ she said.
Tissot said she understood how some residents might be upset by the artwork.
‘‘It’s good graffiti though. ‘‘You can’t not smile at a smiley face.’’
The old mine, which washed ashore on the southern side of the town’s rivermouth in December 1942, is believed to be German and one of three mines known to have washed ashore on Taranaki beaches during the war, with the others at Bell Block and Belt Rd.
A plaque beside the mine reads: ‘‘Let this German mine found December 2nd 1942 remind us in the days of peace. Without vision the people perish.’’
Mokau Museum employee Kerry O’Sullivan got a call at the weekend to tell her about the new addition to the community.
‘‘I don’t know whether it should stay or not but for now it’s a bit of fun.’’
Renowned Taranaki graffiti artist Phil Jones has an exhibition at Mokau Museum and Gallery, which opened on Friday. He said he had no involvement in the mine’s new look. ‘‘I have to say no, I didn’t do it.’’
Using a mine as an artwork is not unheard of in Taranaki. In 2015 the region’s Art in Public Places Trust installed a restored mine on New Plymouth’s Coastal Walkway. That sculpture came at a cost of about $45,000 and was worked on by artist Dale Copeland.