Wellington-based artist Emil McAvoy has created a shocking sculpture made of three custom-made police batons. The sculptures feature a cast of the artist's penis at each end of the batons. The artwork will be unveiled in Hamilton's Waikato Art Museum on 10 August, 2007 at the Trust Waikato National Contemporary Art Awards.Wellington-based artist Emil McAvoy has created a shocking sculpture made of three custom-made police batons. The sculptures feature a cast of the artist's penis at each end of the batons. The artwork will be unveiled in Hamilton's Waikato Art Museum on 10 August, 2007 at the Trust Waikato National Contemporary Art Awards.With a wave of trials for historic police rapes, misconduct, and alleged cover-ups in the news recently, coupled with the country's shocking record of domestic violence in the spotlight, McAvoy's three batons point an accusing finger.

The artwork, entitled Better Work Stories (He Patu! Ano), meaning Patu again, refers to the 1981 Springbok Tour, in which police were first issued with long batons. During the course of the 1981 tour, the long baton became a symbol of state power through its use in violent clashes with anti-apartheid protesters.

People may find McAvoy's work distasteful or shocking. The three batons are an uncomfortable reminder that we have a problem. The sculptures may be disturbing, but not more so than recent events: police gang rapes, the alleged brutal beating of a man in a prison cell, and stories of domestic violence.

There is also an online component to this work. An edition of Better Work Stories (He Patu! Ano) is available for sale on www.trademe.co.nz from 6pm Saturday 11th August. The proceeds from this sale will be donated to charity, and bidders on the site will have an opportunity to nominate appropriate charities.

In 2005, an original long baton used against protestors during the Springbok Tour was put up for online auction. Labeled the "Minto Bar" by Ross Meurant, formerly Second in Command of the Red Squad, it sold to a South African collector for an outrageous NZ$20,000. Asked if he was wanting to profit from these symbols of violence himself, McAvoy said "I want to do something real towards combating violence in this country. I will be donating any profits from this auction to a charity. I am also asking people who bid online to suggest which charities they would like to see the profits go towards."

9/8/07