For the second time in 17 months, Whangarei artist Barry Wilson has had a blanket, so to speak, thrown over one of his cheeky nude paintings. The work by Wilson, which features three minxes sitting on a beach bench in topless bikinis, was turned down for exhibit at the current CANArt Show at Forum North. Three other paintings he submitted - one also a nude - were deemed acceptable and are hanging among the 160 works by contributors to the annual arts and craft event. Wilson and his wife Marian say they are disappointed his peers judged the "charming and not at all pornographic" painting too risque. However, the show's convener is adamant the work in question is not appropriate for family viewing. President Keith Wright said the committee had been happy to back the convener's decision, and politely wondered if the Wilsons' likening it to "the censorship of art" was a bit over the top. Another of Wilson's paintings met with similar controversy in 2007 when it was among several in his solo artist's exhibit at the Robert Harris Cafe in the Strand Arcade. The comely nude had to be removed from the public's eye after a customer complained.
