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Artist: Paul D. Trice Confronting Bodies: Heritage Bank employees Date of Action: February 2002 Specific Location: Heritage Bank in Ocean View, Newport, VA Description of Artwork: Painting commemorating the World Trade Center tragedy showed several scenes of the disaster: a view of New York harbor with the smoke-engulfed towers in the distance; a close-up of a plane striking one of the towers; and a rescuer workers searching the rubble as fire-fighters raise the American flag. Paul D. Trice, a self-taught oil painter copied the images from newspaper photos, avoiding blood and gore. Description of Incident: The painting was pulled from the bank after a few days on display because a customer found it offensive. The employees at the Heritage Bank and Trust branch told the artist that a customer objected to the work, perhaps because it included an image of Osama bin Laden on a poster reading ìMost Wanted by FBI Dead or Aliveî. Results of Incident: London Bridge Trading Co. in Virginia Beach, a company that makes military gear, offered the painting a place of honor in its store after the painting was pulled from the bank. Source: Newport News, NCAC |