The Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority (MSCAA) has removed an Elvis Presley–inspired piece of artwork at the Memphis International Airport by artist Tommy Kha because of backlash from Elvis Presley fans. The Commercial Appeal reports the piece was installed in a newly reopened concourse in mid-February, but airport administrators removed it this week, citing unspecified negative commentary from fans.
“After some disturbing complaints about my work, it was decided, and without my knowledge, the pictures were removed. I’m the only artist they have removed,” Kha wrote in an Instagram post on Monday (March 21).
In Kha’s photographic piece, an Asian man dressed in a jumpsuit that recalls Aloha From Hawaii–era Presley stands in a room filled with kitchen and office wares. Kha and the Memphis Urban Art Commission, which helped facilitate the airport’s purchase of Kha’s work, have denounced the removal. According to a statement from the UAC, Kha, who grew up in nearby Whitehaven, Tennessee, “has spent years doing documentary work about Elvis tribute artists/impersonators, and considers himself a part of that community.”
Scott Brockman, president and CEO of the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority, explained the decision in his own statement, saying that the MSCAA was “open to the possibility of commissioning new artwork” by Kha.
“While we understand that the artist created the piece as a tribute to Elvis, the public reaction has been strong, leading us to revisit that original goal of avoiding the depiction of public figures in our art collection,” Brockman wrote. “As a result, the airport determined it was best to temporarily remove the piece while we determine our best path forward.”
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