Artist Removes Mural of Hillary in Australia
Local council eventually made him completely remove it
Australian artist Lushsux has removed his mural of Hillary Clinton after the local council voted on it. He first put her in a very revealing swimsuit, but placed a burqa on it when the council first told him to paint over it.
This is no longer a wall of a supposed "offensive and near naked" Hillary Clinton, a beautiful Muslim woman. pic.twitter.com/M7Uzr4gqBC
— @lushsux (@lushsux) August 1, 2016
The Maribyrnong Council demanded he remove the mural because they found it offensive. So when he put her in a burqa he wrote this next to her:
“If this Muslim woman offends U, U R a bigot, racist, sexist Islamaphobe.”
The council didn’t care and told him to completely remove his mural:
Maribyrnong Council chief executive Stephen Wall had previously stated that if the mural wasn’t removed within the stipulated time frame the council would consider further action.
“If the matter proceeds to prosecution, it would be through the Magistrate’s Court, which will determine any fine and damages to be paid,” he said.
Mr Wall said of the original Clinton mural that it was “offensive” because of the depiction of a near naked woman and was not in keeping with council’s stance on gender equity.
He obliged.
Looks like the council wins. GG pic.twitter.com/oHtynW8v2Q
— @lushsux (@lushsux) August 2, 2016
https://twitter.com/streetartglobe/status/760115551653855232
So she went from a swimsuit to burqa to nothing.
Clinton mural by @lushsux that became 'beautiful Muslim woman' painted over in black https://t.co/Mok3l7m4Mn pic.twitter.com/F9BigU4Dep
— The Age Photography (@theage_photo) August 3, 2016
The store owner was away, but a friend watching the business had no problem with Lushsux’s mural. Instead, she lasged out at the council:
The owner of the Mr Mobility store is away but a friend looking after his small business, Mitch, said she strongly disagreed with the council’s stance on the original mural.
“It’s art,” she said.
“I can’t see any problem with someone expressing themselves with art. I think it’s a wonderful thing.”
Mitch said far more offensive images could be found on the streets, yet they were not removed.
“I’m a woman and I’m not offended by it. It’s just a one piece bathing suit with large breasts but the nipples and private parts are covered.”
[Featured image via Twitter]
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I am sure the painter is loving all the publicity, which is probably the point of the entire exercise.
Maribyrnong Council chief executive Stephen Wall had previously stated that if the mural wasn’t removed within the stipulated time frame the council would consider further action.
“If the matter proceeds to prosecution, it would be through the Magistrate’s Court, which will determine any fine and damages to be paid,” he said.
How is this not a 1st Amendment lawsuit waiting to happen?
Duh… that would be the Australia part.
That statement reminds me of what some of the druggies said back in the 1970s and 1980s: Weren’t they protected by the OUR Constitution when they were arrested in Turkey, or Peru, or whichever foreign country they were in at the time. Well, duhhhhh! Cuz, that’s why!
I mean, yep, our Constitution is good, yet kind of restricted to our country; pity, perhaps!
The Constitution is restricted by jurisdiction, not geography, to We the People and Posterity (i.e. unplanned babies).
I wonder if Billy Jeff has seen the pictures of the mural? And what was his reaction?
“Wait, whaaat? Hills, come in here for a minute! You been holding out on me?”
By the way, Maribyrnong is a solid Labor Party suburb — the sort of place where often the only competition Labor has is from the Greens.