Jehangir erotic art show covered up TUNALI MUKHERJEE/HT Artists Sanjeev Khandekar and Vaishali Narkar cover up an 'offensive' painting. I am frustrated and angry with the entire episode. The police and government should go back to school and learn art history. - Julius Mcewan, artist Urvi Jappi Mumbai, August 6 BLACK CURTAINS came down on the controversial exhibition Tits Clits 'N' Elephant Dick at the Jehangir Art Gallery at Kala Ghoda on Sunday - also the last day of the display. Artists Sanjeev Khandekar and Vaishali Narkar - who were told by the police to shut the exhibition of their work by Sunday morning fol­lowing a complaint - opted to keep it open, but covered all the paintings and nude installations with black cloth as a mark of protest. "How can the police take action if just one person says it's obscene? Looking at it that way, there were sev­eral others who appreciated the art," said an upset Narkar. "The exhibits are not obscene. It is art," insisted Khandekar. Art dealer Ashish Nagpal, who bought three works from the exhibit agreed, adding that the way the artists were asked to withdraw the exhibition was "shameful." The complaint was lodged on Sat­urday by Tardeo resident Pushpa Vijula who found it "vulgar." Artist Bose Krishnamachari said the order to withdraw the exhibition - whose theme was to showcase the moral decline of society - was not very encouraging for artists. "It is bad when upcoming Indian artists are not allowed to express their art," he said. Asked if it was fair to shut an exhi­bition on the basis of the opinion of one visitor, Udaysingh Gaikwad, sen­ior inspector at the Colaba police sta­tion, said the courts would decide whether the display was obscene or not. "Once a complaint is registered, we have to conduct an initial inquiry." Hindustan Times, August 7th 2006