'Porn' work gets the boot

Artist Michael Hawksworth says his work is not pornographic, after it was pulled from a Napier art exhibition. PHOTO / DUNCAN BROWN

A local art tutor who had his "pornographic" work pulled from an exhibition, proceeded to show and sell it to people out of his car in the parking lot.

A new community arts centre in Napier, The CAN, opened its doors to the public for the first time last Friday night, with an exhibition by local artists.

But among the works on show was a note left by arts and design tutor at EIT, Michael Hawksworth, explaining a piece of his art had been pulled from the event "due to objections about the work's content".

"Ask the artist if you're interested in viewing it."

The centre's manager, Christine Heaney of Creative Arts Napier, said Mr Hawksworth's work was removed from the exhibition after it was deemed unsuitable for children and families.

"It just went over the boundary of what you would see in a community arts centre. We had to draw the line somewhere."

She said the artwork, titled Mean Girls 8: Shaku Buku Purgatorio, was pornographic.

"At first glance it looks like a renaissance mural of cherubs but as you got closer you realise they aren't cherubs. They're Japanese pornography S&M stuff."

On the exhibition's opening night, people were going out into the parking lot to view the work.

"He was actually showing it out of the back of his car on the night of the exhibition."
Mr Hawksworth, 48, said the artwork was "a little on the racy side".

"It depicted Japanese girls in bondage." However, it was not pornographic.

"The images I sampled were from a pornographic magazine but I've re-contextualised them so they are not pornography."

It was initially suggested the work remain in the exhibition with an "R18" covering, before it was pulled entirely.

"I was a little bit disappointed this work was not able to be shown."

During the exhibition, when people expressed a desire to see the work, Mr Hawksworth took them out into the carpark and showed it to them. Mr Hawksworth said he had been an artist for 20 years and had shown his artwork throughout the country.