Nude mural to be painted over

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ATLANTA, Aug. 30 (UPI) -- An Atlanta non-profit said it will paint over a controversial public mural of a woman in various states of undress.

Nathan Bolster, executive director of operations for the non-profit Living Walls Conference, said the group commissioned the concrete wall mural from Spanish artist Hyuro and the work was completed about two weeks ago, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported Thursday.

However, Bolster said the property owner, Sawtell Development Partners, ordered the mural painted over after local residents objected to the artwork and the mural was defaced by someone who used tape to cover up the painting's "sensitive areas."

"(The media) had a knee-jerk reaction to a couple of negative voices," Bolster said.

The effort to have the mural removed was led by Tajiddin Muwwakkil, the imam at the neighboring Masjid al-Quaran, who called the mural "pornographic and offensive."