On the day of the hanging by Harrow Art Society we were forced to take down paintings and drawings of nudes from the walls of Harrow Arts Centre.
The stated reason was that it was to avoid offending children. It is not usual for many children to attend the arts centre.
I am deeply offended and worried that unwarranted and unreasonable censorship was imposed by the official who demanded the paintings be taken down after they were hung.
I am aware that cultural events are held in the centre, but an arts centre should be first and fore-most concerned with producing and presenting art, all else should be subordinate.
It is the responsibility of the authority to avoid booking events that coincide with exhibitions of paintings likely to include nudes.
There are other instances that come to mind that make it diffi-cult not to conclude that Harrow Council is not that interested in promoting art in the arts centre - or at least they put festivals and other non-artistic cultural events first.
The naked human body is the chief theme of great works like The Birth of Venus by Botticelli and the paintings by Michelangelo on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and in western culture it is not considered offensive.
The overwhelming majority of people in this country do not find portrayal of the naked human body abhorrent.
As democracy is about the will of the majority, their will should prevail. If anyone is likely to be offended they should be warned to stay away, if it is a child it should be under parental control and kept away.
To ban the portrayal and presentation of paintings of the nude in an arts centre is an affront to art and artists.
I hope that it will never happen again. We artists urgently need your assistance to see that it does not.
DAVID SMITH
Deputy chairman Wembley Art Society
Castle Road Northolt
