MELBOURNE, Australia, - A Melbourne public art gallery has rejected demands it remove a painting that obscenely mocks the close relationship between Australian Prime Minister John Howard and US President George W. Bush.

A Melbourne public art gallery has rejected demands it remove a painting that obscenely mocks the close relationship between Australian Prime Minister John Howard and US President George W. Bush. Here an earlier protest exploring the same theme. (AFP/File/Torsten Blackwood)

The work at the National Gallery of Victoria by artist Gordon Hookey includes the line: "John Howard and Australia are so far up George Dubbah Yah Bush and the USA's arse that we're in the s---. We're kept in the dark and it stinks."

A spokesman for the Victoria state branch of Howard's Liberal party, Andrew Olexander, said Friday that Hookey's work was "not appropriate (to) be shown at public expense" and should be taken down.

"What it amounts to is a very personal and crude attack on the prime minister and the president of the United States," he said.

"Even on the level of political debate it is not appropriate to make a personal attack like this," he said.

But gallery director Gerard Vaughan defended the gallery's right to display work that expressed the personal political views of a contemporary artist.

"We are presenting the artist's views on current political and social issues, not our views," he said in a statement.

"A key characteristic of contemporary art is its great capacity to engage with the major issues of our time," he said.

"We must remember that there is a history of political caricature in Australia which incorporates tough issues overlayed by an Australian humour that doesn't mince words," he said.

State Premier Steve Bracks, who is from the Labor Party, also said he would not order the painting removed.

"We're not about censorship, we are not censoring and saying artwork cannot go up because it offends the sensibilities of a politician," he said.

"I am sure there's going to be artwork which offends me."

Copyright 2004 AFP

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