Follow us on

Friday, May 24, 2013 | 12:51 p.m.

Powered by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Web Search by YAHOO!
 

Posted: 2:12 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012

Nude mural to be painted over

  • comment(29)

Related

mural photo
John Spink
Jodi Thomas leads a child past a mural that has drawn some complaints on Aug. 24, 2012.

By Christian Boone

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A southeast Atlanta mural depicting a woman in various states of undress will be covered up.

“[The media] had a knee-jerk reaction to a couple of negative voices,” said Nathan Bolster, executive director of operations for the nonprofit Living Walls Conference, which commissioned the painting by Spanish artist Hyuro. She completed the work , on a decaying concrete wall at the intersection of McDonough Boulevard and Sawtell Avenue, nearly two weeks ago.

By next Monday, the wall will bare of any art.

“White, tan or gray [paint],” said Bolster when asked what will replace the mural, located on the border of the old Lakewood GM plant, across the street from the federal penitentiary.

The move was initiated by the property owner, Sawtell Development Partners, which had grown weary of the controversy. The final straw, according to Bolster, came over the weekend when someone defaced the mural, applying black masking tape over “sensitive areas.”

Tajiddin Muwwakkil, the imam at the neighboring Masjid Al-Quaran, led the charge against the painting, calling it “pornographic and offensive.” However, the pastor of Antioch Baptist Church, which sits directly across from the mural on McDonough, never made a public statement against it.

Camille Russell Love, director of Atlanta’s Office of Cultural Affairs, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution last week that her office had received mostly positive feedback concerning the mural.

Though the city was caught off guard by Hyuro’s work — which differed from plans submitted by Living Walls — they remained supportive of the finished product, Bolster said.

“It’s disappointing, because everyone I’ve talked in the neighborhood said they want something there instead of a blank wall,” he said, adding it’ll likely be removed by Saturday.

Return for updates.

  • comment(29)

More News

 

Today on MyAJC.com

Alexandra Jackson

Maynard Jackson's daughter to perform at Atlanta Jazz Fest this weekend

Jazz vocalist Alexandra Jackson will be gracing the main stage at the festival her father established.

Boy Scouts approve plan to accept openly gay boys

Atlantans react to Boy Scout decision on gay scouts

Interviews with several Atlanta area Scout leaders found that most leaned against lifting the ban on gay Scouts and more strongly opposed accepting gay leaders

052413 graduation churches HS01

Church and State? One metro county moves all graduations out of churches

In a break from past years, all 26 DeKalb high school commencements are in secular venues this year