Knitted creations adorning Tauranga's Hairy Maclary sculptures have been taken down after the author of the world famous children's storybooks said the yarn bombing was inappropriate.
"It is not very respectful to public art," author and Tauranga resident Dame Lynley Dodd told the Bay of Plenty Times.
When Dame Lynleylearned that knitted creations had been put on the sculptures, she said she took her concerns to the "appropriate" person who then asked the knitters to take them down.
Dame Lynley said anybody who appreciated public art would have seen it as totally inappropriate. Visitors came to see the sculptures as they were intended to be seen. "If they are covered in woolly things, they can't see them properly."
She said she found it difficult to be a spoilsport but reiterated that it was inappropriate for public art and it set a precedent.
"All I want to do is protect a lovely bit of artwork, they are very popular."
Dame Lynley Dodd was not impressed with the yarn-bombing of Hairy Maclary sculptures in Tauranga. Photo/file
Dame Lynley asked people to imagine what would happen overseas if public art was treated this way. Yarn bombing was popular overseas but it was usually temporary and for a reason.
She said Ninja Knits did not ask her permission, although she appreciated that asking permission was not what they did.
Jayne Popham, of Ninja Knits, said the group was asked by a third party to take the knitting down and they did.
While the knitting was up, they got 38,000 views on their Facebook page. "It touched a lot of hearts and we are well chuffed about that."
Mrs Popham said the knitted creations were done sympathetically, linking in with some of the Hairy Maclary stories as a mark of respect.
"We did not intend this to happen. We just wanted to get knitting and have a bit of fun. We are a fun-loving group - we didn't want to stir it up."
However, with the benefit of hindsight, she said the group should have approached Dame Lynley first because the sculptures were a national treasure.
All I want to do is protect a lovely bit of artwork, they are very popular.
"It won't stop us Ninjas in the future," she said referring to how the Ninjas Knits struck unexpectedly, but they would be respectful.
Mrs Popham said the group had intended to take down the knitting on the last day of the school holidays this Sunday, while the items were still in good enough condition to be donated to the SPCA. Instead, they were removed four days earlier than planned.
Dame Lynley did not wish to disclose the identity of the person she spoke to about the knitting.
Tauranga City Council communications spokeswomanBrooke Lavery said the council owned the statues but was not involved with the yarn bombing and nor did it ask for the knitting to be removed.
Knitted additions to Hairy Maclary sculptures Hairy Maclary: Coat and leggings Hercules Morse: Pigeon friends Bottomley Potts: Spotted cape Muffin McLay: Hay coat Schnitzel von Crumm: A basket Bitzer Maloney: Cape Slinky Malinki: Stars on back Scarface Claw: Patch on eye
