Transsexual Artist's Mural Rocks City of Philadelphia: Was it the Mural's Subject or Its Location that Caused Such an Uproar?

Street art can be a beautiful thing. Just ask the residents of New York City, for example, whose own street art is not only actively encouraged but also celebrated and, just as importantly, protected. The underground 'indie' art scene in NYC is still reeling from the destruction done to the works of several highly-regarded street artists, including (and starting with) the works of female artist Swoon by the "Splasher". The 'Splasher' has, since November of last year, been going around systematically destroying some of the city's most prized street art with splashes of paint (usually white) thrown at several dozen works, all done under cover of darkness. I don't want to waste much time here giving any street cred at all to the Splasher.

Some believe him to be nothing more than a spurned, lovelorn art journalist, with distinct Marxist leanings. (Not that there's anything wrong with that!) The point is that street art, a relatively new genre, is not only appreciated and coveted by a city's residents, especially building owners, but by it very nature contemporary, often sadly fleeting works of art that should be honored and preserved for what they are - artistic statements from some of the most creative souls working out on those same streets.

Many might consider the city of Philadelphia to be somewhat stagnant in the contemporary art world, especially in the arena of indie street work. That, surprisingly, is actually far from true. The city is quite well known in art circles for the literally hundreds of colorful outdoor murals which adorn a number of buildings throuhgout the city. Not only do the murals add much-needed color and vibrance to the city itself, they also serve to ward off unwanted graffiti. Perhaps that's why the unknown eventual fate of "The Death of Venus", a mural commissioned by apartment building owner Philip Steinfeld, is of such concern.

Chhin, 35, then known as Wesley and a Cambodian refugee, began work on "Venus" back in 2001. "I just worked on it as I was going along, and it expressed my inner self. I was going through a lot at the time", Chhin noted. The end result of the work is a spontaneous mixture of androgynous forms mixed with elements of Roman mythology and references to several artistic masterpieces, including The Birth of Venus. "It became sort of a self-portait at the end", Chinn added.

While Steinfeld's intentions were unquestioned - he wanted the colorful mural to not only decorate his building but also serve to turn away city graffiti artists, which it did - he never got a permit from the city's Mural Arts Program. (The program, which has formally approved the commission of nearly 2,900 murals since 1984 throughout Philadelphia - had added Chhin's work to its official mural tour.) Administrators at Peirce College, which is located across the street from the apartment building, complained to the Historical Commission about not only the mural's subject matter itself but also its location. Steinfeld's apartment building is located within the "upscale" Rittenhouse-Fitler Residential Historic District; owners of property within the Historic District are not allowed to alter in any way a building's exterior without prior approval from the Historical Commission.

The complaint from the Peirce College group was heard by the commission in February, 2002, but a vote to remove the mural ended in a deadlock. In November, 2002, the Commission actually decided to grant the mural a four-year 'lease', after which time Steinfeld and his attorney Harry Sher could either seek an extension on the mural's lifespan or choose to repaint over the mural itself. Since the 'lease' expired in late 2006, there have been two motions filed to save the colorful artwork - both of which have been rejected at a January 2007 Historical Commission session.

There are ten members on the Commission, of which four are avid supporters of 'save the mural'. One of the commissioners in favor of retaining the mural argues that it should be saved because of the 'historical significance' it has gained since its inception. However, the Commission's Chairman, Michael Sklaroff, argues that the contemporary piece "detracts from the original architecture" of the historic area.

At present, the case for preserving "The Death of Venus" will be heard on August 14, 2007, by the Philadelphia Board of License and Inspection Review. Attorney Sher noted that he can't recall another case in city history in which the city has actually tried to remove a mural. "I can't believe what they're making of this", noted Michael Sher, Harry Sher's brother and the apartment building's manager. "You might think it's the Alberto Gonzalez hearings."

Until August, then, the fate of "Venus" remains in the hands of the licensing review board. Although its subject matter, drawn from the artist's own psyche, has not publicly been deemed as offensive, local critics continue to hammer on the fact that such a 'modern' piece holds no place in an area of pre-1800's architecture, nor was it ever officially permitted in the first place. "If they paint red or any other color over it, "said Chhin, "It's just a blank spot on which to write graffit."