American Notes MURALS

The black-and-white murals have been hanging in Washington's state legislative building since 1981, but most lawmakers have never seen them. Commissioned at a cost of $100,000, The Twelve Labors of Hercules touched off a storm of complaints over their graphic depictions of what critics called kinky sex and death. To quell the controversy, officials covered the murals with gold- colored drapes in 1982. Meanwhile, artist Michael Spafford filed a lawsuit seeking to bar the removal of his work.

Last December a state superior court ruled that the paintings could be taken down. But house speaker Joseph King believes the artwork deserves one more chance to win over the public. The murals will go on display until Sept. 29, when a final decision will be made about their fate.