Initially, Christiana said she was excited about the prospect of having "4 Chambers" on public display around the clock in downtown Long Beach. Many of the paintings faced the bustling sidewalk outside a commercial space at 309 Pine Avenue traversed by thousands of passersby each day. The grand opening Saturday featured live music, hors d'oeuvres and wine for friends and supporters.
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Artist, exhibit sponsor face off over abstract nude paintings
Of about 70 paintings in artist Christiana's series, two were ordered taken down from public display in Long Beach because the sponsor says some viewers might find the depiction of breasts offensive.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Wednesday, February 18, 2009 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 41 words Type of Material: Correction
Public art: An article in the Feb. 10 California section, about a dispute over two abstract paintings of breasts in a public art exhibition in Long Beach, incorrectly spelled the last name of an artist it quoted, Stephanie Allespach, as Allesbach.
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But beneath her welcoming smile that night, the artist said she was concealing disappointment after learning that the abstracts had been rejected as racy. "Everything was fine until then," she said. "I was shocked."
Simone said Christiana's series was selected to be among 17 ongoing exhibitions installed throughout the city because "she went to Cal State Long Beach" and was acquainted with Phantom Galleries curator Christine Faraci.
In an interview, Faraci expressed mixed feelings about the fracas.
But she also acknowledged, "I'm disappointed that Christiana's paintings were considered as something that was not appropriate. A decision was made by Liza regarding frontal and breasts."
Given that many of the paintings deemed acceptable are abstracts of female nudes -- including some that reveal their subject's backsides -- she added, "Why there is a difference between one body part and another was not my decision."
Picasso, she added with a laugh, might have responded to the situation "with a lot of expletives."
Previous Phantom Galleries exhibitions in Los Angeles included one artist's series of stark photographs of children suffering from extremely drug-resistant tuberculosis and another artist's life-sized sculptures of bombs perched in unlikely places.
Although criteria of acceptability vary from venue to venue, Simone said, "As a blanket statement, we do not show overtly sexual nudity."
Stephanie Allesbach, an artist who recently began curating for Phantom Galleries, agreed.
"There's no censorship going on here," Allesbach said. "Liza has always been upfront about what is acceptable in public and what isn't."
Christiana would say Allesbach misses the point.
"I'm proud of my work; it is based on love, friendships and neighbors," she said. "But right now, I'm feeling bullied. I can't be involved with this anymore."
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louis.sahagun@latimes.com
