Geyser was named the symposium\u2019s People\u2019s Choice winner and became a permanent part of the Sulphur Lake Sculpture Trail in Rotorua\u2019s Government Gardens.<\/p>\n
When it was found in a Rotorua resident\u2019s garden last Friday, daubed with lipstick and coloured hair, the homeowner posted photos to a community Facebook page asking if anyone recognised it.<\/p>\n
Former Rotorua Lakes Council community arts adviser and public art expert Marc Spijkerbosch recognised it immediately. A regular Sculpture Trail walker, he had noticed months ago that the piece was missing.<\/p>\n
Once \u201csupple\u201d and \u201cgorgeous\u201d, it was now \u201cghastly\u201d, he said. He called the damage \u201chorrible\u201d and \u201cdisrespectful\u201d and described it as \u201cquite a spooky-looking thing to find in the garden\u201d.<\/p>\n
Geyser, a work by Northland artist Susan Dinkelacker, went missing from Rotorua\u2019s Sulphur Lake Sculpture Trail and was found dumped and vandalised in a resident’s garden. <\/p>\n
For Dinkelacker, who balances her art with flying the air ambulance in Northland, seeing her work in such a state was \u201cawful\u201d.<\/p>\n
She specialises in wood sculptures, and rarely depicts the human form, saying she preferred birds, which were less \u201cfraught\u201d as public artworks.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn a way, Geyser has proven that, as she was stolen and painted,\u201d Dinkelacker said.<\/p>\n
The piece had been \u201can absolute pleasure\u201d to create, and she described it as a highlight of her career. <\/p>\n
Geyser was created during 10 days of carving at the 2018 Rotorua Sculpture Symposium, relating to the theme Ng\u0101 Wai o Rotorua (the waters of Rotorua).<\/p>\n
Dinkelacker recalled working on it during a rare moment of \u201cflow\u201d when everything came together effortlessly.<\/p>\n
But restoring it, she said, would be nearly impossible. <\/p>\n
T\u014dtara left outdoors takes on a silvery patina as it weathers, so scraping away the paint would expose raw wood beneath, leaving the surface uneven and patchy.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou would have to rework the whole thing, which defeats the purpose,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Susan Dinkelacker carved Geyser from t\u014dtara during the 2018 Rotorua Sculpture Symposium.<\/p>\n
Once valued at $8000, the sculpture was now \u201cbasically worthless\u201d. She said it might be better to \u201cdestroy it\u201d, but she would assess this when the sculpture was back in her possession. <\/p>\n
She took some comfort in the fact that the work had already served its purpose by inspiring and delighting those who saw it.<\/p>\n
For years, visitors, including Dinkelacker\u2019s family and friends, had travelled to Rotorua to view her sculpture. <\/p>\n
She hoped it would be remembered as \u201cinspiring and positive\u201d, not for the way it ended.<\/p>\n
Rotorua Lakes Council confirmed the sculpture had been missing \u201cfor a few weeks\u201d and was initially thought to have been collected by the artist as part of a trail refresh.<\/p>\n
Council staff had collected the sculpture, which was in storage until Dinkelacker could collect it, a spokesperson said. <\/p>\n
The theft had not been reported to police.<\/p>\n
The spokesperson said any damage or vandalism was \u201cextremely disappointing\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur city\u2019s public art collection celebrates Te Arawa, our people and our history, and is here for everyone to enjoy and respect.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not the first time public art in Rotorua has been targeted. <\/p>\n
Last year, the bronze sculpture of beloved stray dog Harawene<\/a> was sawn off – though it was later remade<\/a> and returned to its Te Ngae Rd perch. <\/p>\n In 2023, the bronze bust of tourism pioneer Camille Malfroy<\/a> was stolen from Government Gardens and later recovered<\/a>, though damaged.<\/p>\n