Giant Easter bunny crashes on porch in Westwego -- artist Josh Wingerter strikes again

That 10-foot-tall, pink rabbit reclining on a porch on Sala Street in Westwego, looks real relaxed. Slack, you might say.

Artist Josh Wingerter, who produced the unharried hare, explained the critter’s condition like so: “This Easter Bunny’s been through a few Easters.”

Wingerter owns the modest mint-colored house where the bunny resides. When he bought the place, it was in a state of protracted deferred maintenance. In other words, it was a wreck. Still is.

“Looking at this house, I said, ‘Who would be sitting on this porch?’” Wingerter recalled.

The affable, tattooed, paunchy holiday rabbit with the bent ears, carrot stuck to his bottom lip, and the paint brushes in his pocket was the result. The shocking pink bunny is bound to produce wry smiles from passersby.

Let's assume he's just exhausted after painting and hiding all those eggs. 

It’s not the first time that Wingerter has created crowd-pleasing public art.

He’s the West Bank dude that took it upon himself to decorate the boarded-up businesses on Frenchmen Street with upbeat aerosol graffiti at the start of the coronavirus lockdown.

Remember his rendition of Wonder Woman as a COVID nurse? Remember his portrait of Louis Armstrong with a face mask stretched over the bell of his trumpet? Remember his tongue-in-cheek toilet paper still-lifes?

Wingerter produced a COVID-safe, socially distanced, outdoor art exhibit that was something to do, when there was absolutely nothing to do. It was the right art at the right time, for sure.

Wingerter said the inspiration to make a house float-style Easter display was twofold.

He said he’d heard that the Westwego Historical Society encouraged residents of the old downtown area to decorate their homes for holiday. And, coincidentally, his little brother had recently given him a new power saw and nail gun.

Under the circumstances, how could he not cut out a three-dimensional plywood bunny and nail it to his fixer-upper?

Look for Wingerter’s Easter rabbit at 362 Sala Ave. His art gallery is nearby at 401 Sala Avenue. For hours and more information, check the gallery website.