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| SO Festival underpants artwork dropped | SO Festival underpants artwork dropped |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| An image of a man sipping wine in his underpants is among several withdrawn from a Lincolnshire arts festival after concerns were raised by organisers. | An image of a man sipping wine in his underpants is among several withdrawn from a Lincolnshire arts festival after concerns were raised by organisers. |
| The SO Festival, which features street art, including gigantic inflatables and roaming dinosaurs, takes place in Skegness and other local towns. | The SO Festival, which features street art, including gigantic inflatables and roaming dinosaurs, takes place in Skegness and other local towns. |
| Photographer John Byford's work was due to shown as part of a display in Horncastle. | Photographer John Byford's work was due to shown as part of a display in Horncastle. |
| But organisers said some of the work was unsuitable. | |
| Mr Byford said: "He's sitting there in his underpants - in a rather unusual position - but you know he is enjoying himself and he is doing what we all do. | Mr Byford said: "He's sitting there in his underpants - in a rather unusual position - but you know he is enjoying himself and he is doing what we all do. |
| "That's life and that's what I do - capture life." | "That's life and that's what I do - capture life." |
| Provoke reaction | Provoke reaction |
| The Skegness artist said he had grown up on the coast and his work was inspired by saucy postcards, once popular with visitors. | The Skegness artist said he had grown up on the coast and his work was inspired by saucy postcards, once popular with visitors. |
| Mr Byford added: "I think that's what we are missing in society - we are so wrapped up in cotton wool when I do stuff like this it does provoke a reaction - but usually it's a smile or a laugh." | |
| Festival organiser Robin Morley said: "Both myself and East Lindsey District Council did not have an issue with the image of the man in his underpants. | Festival organiser Robin Morley said: "Both myself and East Lindsey District Council did not have an issue with the image of the man in his underpants. |
| However, we did have an issue with the image of two very young boys looking into the mouth of a dead sperm whale. | However, we did have an issue with the image of two very young boys looking into the mouth of a dead sperm whale. |
| "When we saw the work, we thought the combination of the image and the title could be interpreted in several ways, some of which had very strong sexual connotations which would not be fitting to put in front of a family audience. | "When we saw the work, we thought the combination of the image and the title could be interpreted in several ways, some of which had very strong sexual connotations which would not be fitting to put in front of a family audience. |
| 'Appropriate to audience' | 'Appropriate to audience' |
| Mr Morley added: "We had a conversation with John about whether some of his images were appropriate and as he was not prepared to replace them, I had no choice but to withdraw the installation from the event. | |
| "It is not about censorship or banning art, it is about displaying artwork that is appropriate to the audience that will see it." | "It is not about censorship or banning art, it is about displaying artwork that is appropriate to the audience that will see it." |
| Mr Byford said it was up to people to make their own minds up - it was not for the council and the organisers to ban them. | |
| "If you have the image on its own it means nothing - if you have the title on its own it means nothing - but the two combined makes a piece of art. | |
| "The two go hand in hand," he added. | "The two go hand in hand," he added. |
| He said the whale image was previously been seen by about 8,000 people in Skegness without a single complaint. | |
| This year's SO Festival runs from 28 June to 7 July. | This year's SO Festival runs from 28 June to 7 July. |