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RUDE NUDE? Artist Maxine Xavier with her banned painting which is titled Possession Picture: GRAHAM HUNT/HG3831.

A CELEBRATED artist says she has been told one of her paintings is too risqué' to be shown in Lyme's Town Mill open art competition show.

Maxime Xavier entered her painting called Possession' in the Town Mill's open art competition, a selection of work from which goes on public display this weekend.

But although it was judged as a competition entry, Maxime said she was asked to come and collect the piece as it was not deemed suitable to be seen in a family exhibition.

Shown above, it depicts a topless woman, her lower half dressed in a sarong, being held by her lover. Maxime says she does not see how this is any more explicit than the nudes which families see in London's National Gallery.

Maxime was known as an equine artist who has painted Desert Orchid, Sheik Mohammed's racehorses and been featured in Horse and Hound magazine. Her work has been sold around the world. She moved to Lyme ten years ago and set up her studio, Studio 19, in Broad Street five years ago, and has also designed the town's carnival brochure cover in the past.

A former winner of the competition, she said her work has been shown at the Town Mill before without any complaints and feels refusing to display this painting goes against the impression Lyme is trying to promote as a flourishing centre for artists.

She said: "This is not a family show, it is an open exhibition for paintings and, seeing as Lyme is trying to up its profile on the art side, they are just holding it back.

"The Mill, that has been made for arts in Lyme, are actually squashing it by wanting only pictures of the Cobb and vases of flowers and stuff."

Town Mill manager Mike Cawte said those who took the decision were away until this weekend and could not be contacted until then.

Mr Cawte said: "It was just felt when the works were being hung that it was not quite right for the exhibition and we spoke to Maxime to see whether she wanted to submit something else."

Mr Cawte stressed this was not his decision.

11:52am Thursday 7th August 2008

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