Green Man for the chop?
The end may be nigh for Tokoroa’s iconic Green Man sculpture.
Major redevelopment work in the South Waikato town’s Leith Pl, which runs adjacent to State Highway 1 where he is located, could see him gone for good.
The South Waikato District Council is set to temporarily remove several carvings, known as the Talking Poles, from the shopping precinct to make way for the redevelopment work to commence. The Green Man, carved out of a cedar by renowned Wales/Australian artist Andy Hancock in 2004 is not exempt.
During the South Waikato District Council’s monthly meeting last Thursday project manager Walt Williams said while most can be removed with ease, the Green Man’s deteriorated condition posed a problem.
‘‘The only real problem we see is with the Green Man. We don’t know if the Green Man will make it through the move but we are going to try and make it work,’’ he said.
Mayor Jenny Shattock said the Green Man, which is arguably the town’s most photographed sculpture, was iconic and she would hate to see him lost.
‘‘If we do move him and he falls to bits I will be terribly terribly upset,’’ she said.
‘‘He is iconic and cost a lot of money. We brought the guy out from Wales to carve him and it was part of a fantastic symposium. I would like to see him, in whatever form, still being part of the project,’’ she said.
Shattock questioned if a mold of the Green Man could be made in order to preserve him.
Williams said it was possible.
‘‘We have talked about electronically scanning him so we can capture a 3D image. We haven’t costed it but we can cost it,’’ he said.
Deputy mayor Jeff Gash supported the move.
‘‘Chances are he is not going to last forever. I think if the technology is available we should be using it if it is cost effective,’’ he said.
‘‘We were at Hobbiton a few months ago and they talked about a massive pinetree in the middle of the field that is dying but they are talking about rebuilding it as a model and it is huge. If they can do that then we can certainly do something.’’
Green Men, which are traditionally a face surrounded by or made from leaves, can be found throughout the world often as carvings on buildings.
The Tokoroa Green Man represents New Zealand’s changing seasons and nature.