Bye Bye Bunting

Compressed Conflict – What Are Those Rabbits Thinking?

Similar to 00690000, the child here is using the rabbit skin as a toy rather than as protection against the cold. His dance seems to be a joyous one, but he is surrounded by real rabbits, and the mouth of the rabbit costume appears almost to be swallowing his head. Very little has been done here to tailor the rabbit skin and make it look like anything other than what it is. Not only does the rabbit costume include the ears and the skin from the back of the head (as seen in previous illustrations), it also includes the face (with the eyes!) and the paws of the rabbit. This boy in his rabbit skin does not exist in any interior or exterior setting; however, the on-looking rabbits make a decorative frame around him. The size and colors of the characters in this image clearly convey the dominance of even the youngest of the human species. Is this dancing boy mocking the endangered bunnies or is he totally unaware of what his costume means to his audience?