Artist Christine holding her “offensive” art pieces.

LONG BEACH ARTIST PULLS OUT OF EXHIBIT
AFTER PAINTINGS ARE CALLED 'OVERTLY SEXUAL'

2/13/2009 - Early in this month, a for-profit community outreach program named Phantom Galleries LA cancelled its downtown Long Beach public exhibition of 70 titles titled “4 Chambers” four days into its scheduled 2 month run, much to the dismay and anger of its principal artist.

The trouble started after program Executive Director Liza Simone said two of the abstract paintings could be viewed as “sexually overt artwork." and removed them from the exhibit. The Times quoted her as saying the action was “my prerogative.”

The artist, who goes by her first name only, Christina, age 40, of Laguna Beach, had another opinion. She vehemently denied that there was anything obscene or pornographic about the paintings, which she called expressions of human emotion and form. She demanded that the exhibit show all of her works or none of them.

"They've got a problem with nipples," Christiana said.

Simone replied that the exhibit needed to contain work that she believed would be “appropriate for all ages.”

“Anything that could potentially offend somebody we don’t show.”

"The public went bonkers when Janet Jackson revealed one nipple during a Super Bowl game," Simone said.

"Anything that could potentially offend someone, we don't show…Artists do not decide what is shown and what isn't. We do," she added.

[Of course she forgets that all the protests came from one small group of crazies who flooded the FCC with emails, and that the fine imposed on CBS was eventually reversed.” – Ed.] The Times quoted another exhibit curator. Christine Faraci, as being “disappointed that Christiana's paintings were considered …not appropriate. “Given that many of the paintings deemed acceptable are abstracts of female nudes -- including some that reveal their subject's backsides -- why there is a difference between one body part and another?” [Our point exactly.]

“Picasso,” she added with a laugh, “might have responded to the situation "with a lot of expletives."

"I'm proud of my work;” the article quoted Christine. “It is based on love, friendships and neighbors. But right now, I'm feeling bullied. I can't be involved with this anymore. I just want to get my work and move on.” The SCNA Board of Directors went on record as condemning the actions of Executive Director Liza Simone, but since the artist wanted to move on, we decided not to organize a protest.

However, those who wish to drop Liza Simone a “love note” telling her how you may feel, send her an email at: Liza@phantomgalleriesla.com