Green Lightning

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Green Lightning refers to a sculpture created by artist Billie Lawless. An original model was created for ArtPark in the fall of 1983. The work featured thirteen lightning bolts in green neon tubes, surrounding four boxes that housed figures of dancing penises, also in neon.

The sculpture was built in Buffalo, NY in October of 1984. Construction of the work started in 6 October, and it was completed and lit on November 15th. City officials found the work to be offensive, and Mayor Jimmy Griffin (politician) ordered it removed on 20 November, 5 days later. Initial attempts at deconstruction began under cover of night, and resulted in damage of the work. Lawless sued, claiming that his rights were being infringed; the city contended that the sculpture, as erected, was not representative of the model they had been presented with.

The sculpture was eventually removed from Buffalo and relocated to Chicago.^[1]

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