THE ARTS:

A public fundraising drive seeking donations worth $5 million to erect a massive cast bronze statue of former prime minister Scott Morrison on Cronulla Beach in Sydney is already massively oversubscribed.

The man behind the project, Brisbane-based sculptor Clay Moddle, said he had been overwhelmed with donations since revising and relaunching a dedicated fundraising website yesterday.

Mr Moddle released his artist’s impression of the completed statue (main picture) which he said would take him up to six months to create.

“The statue will be 8 metres tall and I have chosen a spot for it on a rise overlooking Cronulla Beach in Mr Morrison’s seat of Cook,” he said.

“I plan to give Mr Morrison a somewhat casual stance but also to present him in a business suit that underlines the importance of the job he had leading the nation.”

Mr Moddle said once completed the statue would be positioned to show Mr Morrison looking out to sea and holding up his right hand.

But he was quick to dispel suggestions that the raised hand would mimic the former prime minister’s well known posture when attending his Pentecostal church.

“No, it’s got nothing to do with his faith,” he explained. “In fact while his hand will be raised he will also be holding up five fingers to represent the five ministerial roles he secretly assumed in his last few years in office.”

Mr Moddle said the huge response to his fundraising appeal meant he could start work to bring his plans to life.

“When I set up the fundraising website a week ago it was struggling to raise even a few hundred dollars, but after I tweaked the site yesterday donations just started rolling in,” he said.

“At last count this morning there were pledges worth $12.5 million and donations are still rolling in.

“I put it down to the changes I made to the website yesterday in which I clarified that the aim of the entire project was to build a statue of Scott Morrison just so that when it’s erected at Cronulla Beach everyone who donated will be invited to help tear it down, bash shit out of it, and take the fucker out to sea and sink him.

“That’s when the donations really took off like a rocket,” Mr Moddle said.