Nude Picasso at Edinburgh Airport Causes Uproar After Cover Up
Edinburgh Airport has backtracked on its decision to cover up a nude Picasso poster on Wednesday following a flood of complaints. The management at the airport had initially covered the poster up a small handful of passengers had claimed it was too risqué.
The large poster is of the Spanish artist's "Nude Woman In a Red Armchair" painting and was previously hanging at the airport's terminal. It had been placed there to help promote an exhibition at the Scottish Museum of Modern Art.
However, several complaints from customers at the airport, who had said it was too revealing, led to management covering the poster with white vinyl on Tuesday.
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But that decision sparked even more complaints as hoards of people took to online blogs and comments sections to deeming the airport's actions as ridiculous and misguided. The gallery holding the exhibition itself described the decision at the airport as "bizarre."
John Leighton, Director-General of the National Galleries of Scotland said, "All kinds of images of women in various states of dress and undress can be used in contemporary advertising without comment."
"But somehow a painted nude by one of the world's most famous artists is found to be disturbing and has to be removed," he added.
An Edinburgh Airport spokeswoman has now attempted to explain the decision to the dissatisfied customers, saying the initial decision to cover the poster was "a reaction to passenger feedback, which we do always take seriously."
She added, "On reflection we are more than happy to display the image in the terminal and we'd like to apologize -- particularly to the exhibition organizers -- for the confusion."
The Picasso and Modern British Art exhibition runs at the gallery from now through Nov. 4, 2012.
