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- <text id=89TT1586>
- <title>
- June 19, 1989: American Notes:Murals
- </title>
- <history>
- TIME--The Weekly Newsmagazine--1989
- June 19, 1989 Revolt Against Communism
- </history>
- <article>
- <source>Time Magazine</source>
- <hdr>
- NATION, Page 37
- American Notes
- MURALS
- Last Chance For Hercules
- </hdr><body>
- <p> The black-and-white murals have been hanging in
- Washington's state legislative building since 1981, but most
- lawmakers have never seen them. Commissioned at a cost of
- $100,000, The Twelve Labors of Hercules touched off a storm of
- complaints over their graphic depictions of what critics called
- kinky sex and death. To quell the controversy, officials covered
- the murals with gold-colored drapes in 1982. Meanwhile, artist
- Michael Spafford filed a lawsuit seeking to bar the removal of
- his work.
- </p>
- <p> Last December a state superior court ruled that the
- paintings could be taken down. But house speaker Joseph King
- believes the artwork deserves one more chance to win over the
- public. The murals will go on display until Sept. 29, when a
- final decision will be made about their fate.
- </p>
-
- </body></article>
- </text>
-
-