Nude Gargoyle Statue Showing Full Frontal Nudity Causes Upset In Arizona Community (VIDEO)

One Arizona artist is taking flack for a controversial sculpture he installed outside his home in Paulden. According to local reports, county officials have asked David Smith to remove the nude gargoyle statute from his yard.

Why? Because the 9-foot metal sculpture features full frontal nudity, displaying the creature in all his anatomically correct glory.

"It wasn't put on there to offend anybody. That isn't the reason," Smith told AZ Central. "Everything has a sex."

While Smith holds that he has a constitutional right to keep the statue in his yard, Yavapai County officials labeled the piece "offensive." Following several complaints from community members, the county asked Smith to take it down or face a $1,000 fine -- an ultimatum Smith intends to fight.

The artist also notes that he never received any complaints about the statue's nudity when it was situated outside his previous home in Phoenix.

As Fox 10 News reports, Smith will appear in court in July, at which time a judge will determine whether or not he can keep the nude artwork and if he must pay the county fine.

In Utah, another nude statue, deemed "immodest" by some residents, is often dressed up with clothes from community members. While the wire-and-metal sculpture is installed on a city street, instead of on a private property like Smith's work, local officials have embraced a playful spirit of compromise, encouraging teens to apply for an official position to dress the statue once a week this summer.