Nude Mural in Chosewood Park to be Repainted
Nude mural called pornographic by imam of local masjid.
Photos
Her simple but striking black and white murals can be seen on streetscapes in Italy, Poland, Spain, Mexico, Norway, Germany and her home country of Argentina.
But in Atlanta, Hyuro has received a different reception from a few vocal opponents in Chosewood Park after the unveiling of her nude mural last week for the non-profit Living Walls project.
So Hyuro's work will be painted over, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The mural, located on the eastern wall of the former General Motors Lakewood Plant at the corner of Sawtell Avenue and McDonough Boulevard, depicts a nude woman in a series of stances in which she disrobes herself of a black outfit.
The discarded garment transforms itself into a dog or wolf.
But the images proved too much for some, leading to the property owner deciding it needed to be removed.
Tajiddin Muwwakkil, the imam at the neighboring Masjid Al-Quaran, called the work “pornographic and offensive,” and was one of the leading opponents to the work, the AJC reported.
The mural is to be painted over by Monday, the newspaper said, quoting Nathan Bolster, the Living Walls Conference's executive director of operations.
Péralte Paul
2:43 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Not sure how any objective measure one could see this as pornographic, but what does everyone think? Based on the e-mails and calls I received, more people were in favor of this than not. Should the property owner have caved in to the pressure?
Mark Flanagan
3:11 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
This is terrible. I have seen tons of people stop and travel that location because of this mural. It gives publicity and beauty to that area. Now its going back to a dead wall?
And since when is a naked person pornagraphic? She's not doing anything "erotic", except for de-robing her wolf garment, which is more symbolic, if you ask me.
What is the property owner doing with the property anyway? it certainly is his right, to pain over it, but its so sad that he would prefer nothing over something
Joeslaststand
4:56 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Art to some may be trash to others as we are seeing with this mural's imminent demise. I find it most disturbing that the human body is considered offensive. Are we so ashamed of these vessels that carry us thru life that we are outraged at a nude form? Or is the metaphoric symbolism of the burden of the shadow self being stripped from the woman's body, a metamorphosis to a beast that then walks away that is so overwhelming. If the AJC is correct and the neighboring Masjid Al-Quaran is "one of the leading opponents to the work" I would suggest that these proprietors of the imam look deeper into the Sunnah and Hadith of their honorable Prophet Muhammed for guidance and make these teachings applicable in a modern world. Did not the prophet Muhammed have to shed his shadow self thru many nights of seclusion and prayer before he received his first revelation form God? Although the Members of the Masjid Al-Quaran have the right to be offended I find it shameful that Sawtell Development Partners have succumb so quickly to this religious organization that has yet to learn the concept of living in a shared, modern world.
K.king
10:09 pm on Saturday, September 1, 2012
I totally look at this mural as TRASH!!! People tryin to make nudity the issue when its we have lots of nude art work in Atlanta... I live 2 blocks away Frm this crap.. In opinion it shows a pour women that transform into a bitch and if it's not a female dog, it's the son of a bitch... And yea nudity is fine and is ok.. But in a low income community which is filled wit women taking off their clothes "prostitution" yes people should feel offended by this mural... We can take this mural in so many direction... If u a anyway a believer in the Lord Jesus the book of Revelation 17-22 verse 15.. It talks abt the whore and the dogs..
Péralte Paul
11:17 pm on Saturday, September 1, 2012
Then perhaps people from Chosewood, Lakewood and Historic South Atlanta would be better served focusing on ridding the prostitutes from their neighborhoods and fixing the broken sidewalks, instead of indignation over an artist of international acclaim, K.King.
Speaking of the Holy Bible, Genesis 1:27 "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." By that standard, God's work should be exalted, not shunned or sullied by man's perversion.
As I said before, I don't see how under any objective standard, anyone could see this work as pornographic.
Atl neighbor
7:41 pm on Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Yes, God created us wonderfully in his image. But after the fall we are sinful by nature, nudity became associated with our sexuality whether we like it or not, and God clothed Adam and Eve for a reason. God now instructs women to dress modestly and reserve nudity for our partner, not blatantly put it on a street corner, whether it is art or not. It's not porn but it's not helpful in creating a wholesome, child friendly feel to a community. and yes, prostitution is worse and off course we should be concerned with that too. No one should HAVE to change it, because yes, there's always freedom of speech. But, replacing it or painting over it would be the most respectful thing to do. It's unfortunate the artist put so much time into it, but this could have been avoided by asking people more of their feelings before doing something that is clearly controversial.