They were images so
provocative the Catholic girls' school brave enough to display them had
to call in an archbishop to soothe irate parents.
Now, after years
hidden from view, works by provocative artist eX de Medici, commissioned
by her alma mater St Clare's College, have been rediscovered, reports The Canberra Times.
When the school invited her to create some artworks in 1986, de Medici never anticipated the furore that would erupt once the works were hung in the school's hall.
The five large panels were painted on scorched canvas and depict different historical interpretations of mothers, including one of Mary holding the body of Jesus Christ alongside a description of in vitro fertilisation.
Twenty-six years later, she is one of Australia's leading contemporary artists who revels in causing consternation among audiences, and had all but forgotten about what happened when she unveiled her works.
Reminded of what happened all those years ago, the Canberra artist, who has a major survey of her works showing at Drill Hall Gallery as part of the Centenary celebrations, recalled that the reaction had been fierce.
When contacted, the school had no immediate record of the circumstances surrounding the works, and in fact had long since taken the panels down and stored them.
But a query as to their whereabouts from The Canberra Times prompted some extended searching through storerooms.