Artwork too hot for shop

A work of art has been removed from a shop window because its images were judged "inappropriate".

The work, by Laxfield artist Gerald Nason, was one of 21 by local artists to form an exhibition staged as part of the Harleston and Waveney Festival.

Each of the artists, all from the Suffolk-Norfolk border area, was given a shop window in Harleston in which to display work on the theme of Heritage.

Mr Nason came up with a work called Heritage Hotel for the window of the Pen and Paper stationery and office supplies shop.

The work comprises the façade of an hotel with series of flaps showing "seedy" scenes inside the rooms.

However, at the request of the proprietor, Gwyneth Bisset, it has now been removed and hung in the local gallery – complete with a net curtain for those visitors who want to draw a veil over the artwork.

Mrs Bisset said: "I just think it is inappropriate for a shop window and better hung in a gallery where people deliberately choose to go and look at art."

Paul Cope, organiser of the exhibition, said it had been made clear to artists that they should take into account that the works would be placed in the windows of people's businesses.

He said: "I don't want to censor pieces but I also have to take into account the feelings of the shopkeepers. The work in question was placed in a shop which is visited by children and I accept that it could offend some people."

Mr Nason said he was surprised by the protest. "I don't see what the fuss is about," he said.

A notice beside his creation, now displayed at the Harleston Gallery, states: "This piece of work has caused a certain amount of controversy and was removed from its allocated shop window."

It is the second time the shop window exhibition in the Harleston and Waveney Festival has caused controversy.

Two years ago a work by another artist was removed after protests that it was blasphemous.