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Saatchi pulls 'blasphemous' exhibits

By Tom Teodorczuk, Evening Standard 16.10.06

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Charles Saatchi has withdrawn the two controversial sculptures.

Medusa depicts a dozen icons of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary fitted with phalluses gathered round a urinal

Charles Saatchi has pulled two controversial sculptures from his Royal Academy show USA Today which opened this month.

Medusa depicts a dozen icons of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary fitted with phalluses gathered round a urinal while These Decades That We Never Sleep, Black Drums comprises a drum kit spattered with paint and insect remains and the artist's blood and semen. Both works are by Terence Koh, a gay American who was born in China.

Observers believe the works are too outrageous even for Saatchi, who memorably exhibited a controversial portrait of Myra Hindley in 1997. One art dealer said: "Koh's work is something that many Christians will find blasphemous. Saatchi seems to have woken up to this rather late - perhaps he is going soft."

A spokesman for the multimillionaire art dealer blamed a fire at the RA in August, saying: "We would have loved to have Medusa in the exhibition but when we lost the very big room due to the fire we had to have a rethink. Rather than compromise the other installations, we decided not to put it in the show."