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Offensive Or Art? Chelsea Billboard Features Nude Woman Floating In Water

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A billboard along the West Side Highway across from Chelsea Piers is turning a lot of heads.

The 8-foot by 10-foot panel posted on the side of a Chelsea art gallery features a nude woman partially covered in water, completely exposing her bare chest.

1010 WINS' Al Jones finds out what New Yorkers think of the billboard

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The billboard is one of four depicting the work of photographer Kenneth Willardt.

The eye-catching image has sparked a debate: is it offensive or is it art?

"I don't find anything inappropriate about it at all, it's a beautiful naked woman…a nice thing to walk by in the morning," Lucas Alvarado said. "She's not voluptuous so I feel like it's not offensive."

Yancey Richardson said she understands why some may be sensitive to the image and believes the work might be best displayed inside the gallery.

"Maybe it doesn't need to face the West Side Highway and Chelsea Piers," Richardson said.

So, what do you think? Offensive or art? Sound off in our comments section below...

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