A New Zealand artist has sculpted the head of the government's environment minister out of cow dung in a conservation protest.
Sculptor Sam Mahon from Canterbury in the South Island usually works in bronze but he adapted his technique to fill a cast with cow dung, finishing with a bronze-like bust of minister Nick Smith.
The artist said Thursday he was upset about plans to dam a local river and the pollution of waterways by effluent from dairy farms.
"The only way I can find to comment about this is to use the very medium that's killing our rivers to sculpt his beautiful face," Mahon told the TV3 network.
Smith took the protest in good spirit, describing it as "a bit of a laugh".
"Though I'd also say, excuse the pun, I'd call it 'crap art'."
Mahon has put the sculpture for sale on the Internet but is not worried if it fails to find a buyer.
"I'll just regrind it and spread it in the garden," he said.
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