A painting of a naked woman caused a hot and heavy debate in the U.K. this week. After The Chair art gallery in Powys, Wales, exhibited a work called “This is not P***ography” in its window, the residents of the Hay-on-Wye neighborhood decidedly disagreed with the artist‘s assertion about her controversial painting.
Gallery owner Val Harris revealed on Instagram that, after Poppy Baynham’s painting of a nude woman in cowboy boots spreading her legs was placed in the gallery’s window, she “had a visit from the police to discuss whether we would remove it.”
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According to the BBC, Dyfed-Powys Police visited the gallery after two complaints. They warned Harris that displaying the painting could be against the Public Order Act of 1986 for causing harassment, alarm, and distress.
Harris was unmoved by the warnings. She opted to keep the painting, which some found “lewd” and others described as “playful,” in her store window.
She did, however, include a sign alongside the painting, encouraging others to share their thoughts on the matter.
“Some people may be offended by the painting ‘This is not P***ography’ in the window. We hear what you say and we would like to open up a dialogue about this issue,” the sign read. “If you would like to contribute to this debate then please write any comments in the book.”
The sign added that the gallery would host a “discussion about the issues around the representation of the nude figure in art.”
After that meeting, Harris and Baynham went live on Instagram to discuss the situation. The women admitted that the painting was “causing a stir” in the area.
“In my opinion, all the women that have something bad to say about the painting aren’t grossed out so much as insecure,” Baynham said. “And it’s sad to see so many women upset by something we all have. Most straight women haven’t seen a vulva, so I see why they might be scared of it. And it’s proving to me that there must be a lot of straight people here in Hay.”
“I think also penises can be seen as comical, while vulva’s are only sexual. The reason why I paint the female body and not the male body is because I want the world to normalise these nonsexual body parts that 50% of the world have,” the artist continued. “This is also the reason why I don’t want to take it down. If I took it down the whole reason why I do art would be thrown back in my face.”
Baynham noted that, when she began her controversial painting, she “didn’t have one thought in my head thinking this would even get commented on.”
“Half the art out there is nudity. So why should I remove it. Why is it inappropriate,” she wondered. “Is it because it’s not a lady like pose? Who made these rules about lady like poses? Men? The world needs to get away from these normative rules and normalise vaginas.”
Baynham’s exhibit closed on September 22, the same day that the controversial painting sold to a local buyer. The artist appears to be taking the situation in stride. In fact, in her Instagram bio, Baynham proudly referred to herself as “the girl with the vagina painting.”
