AN art installation of a pair of woman’s spread legs have been removed from park gates following outrage from local residents.
Rakel McMahon’s piece, titled “Assumption – to be in context or not be in context, that is the question”, showed up across the gates to Festival Park, Cessnock, last week. It shows a pair of legs wearing high-heeled shoes and spread open.
The installation was put out as part of a collection by Ltd Ink Corporation, with the artist saying the intention of the piece was to draw attention to women’s safety.
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However the park was the reported location of an alleged sexual assault on a teenage girl earlier this year.
McMahon, who is part-Icelandic, said: "I am aware of the horrible attack in that park as I did research on the area, especially looking at safety for women.”
She went on: "I feel the work touches upon the discourse on victim blaming in sexual harassment as well as giving the park area a feminine vibe that these green areas need.
"As for now parks, in Iceland, Glasgow or any other city are not safe for everybody.
"The original work was created from flight safety instructions where high heels are always banned during emergency exits."
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Councillors Ricky Bell and Malcolm Cunning contacted Glasgow City Council leaders earlier today following complaints that the art piece was too “sexualised”.
Labour representative Canning said while he was no art critic himself, he felt the piece was "more than inappropriate".
Campaign group Make Space for Girls said: “Just in case there aren't enough reasons why teenage girls don't use parks, this 'art' piece has been installed on some park gates in Glasgow. I actually don't have the words for how angry this makes me.”
Glasgow Times reported that the piece was defaced by feminist stickers reading "rape is not art", among other slogans.
The National understands that the piece has now been removed.
A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council tweeted: "We know there has been a lot of concern regarding images that had been attached to gates Festival Park. Council staff removed them this morning. We cannot find any evidence the images were commissioned or in any way approved by the council, or any of its arm's-length bodies."
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