An artist has angered residents near Ground Zero in New York with a painted sign reading "Caution, low flying planes".
Ground Zero neighbours said the artwork was offensive
James Peterson said the work was meant as a memorial to the attack on the World Trade Center a few blocks away.
Mr Peterson, 36, said he had not intended to offend anyone with his 140-square foot piece, entitled Caution: 2003.
However, following complaints, the authorities ordered the building's owner to remove the artwork or apply to make it legal.
If you take a low humour view of it, that's really in
your mind, not mine
Neighbours had complained to the city's Landmarks Preservation
Mr Peterson's acrylic painting, on brickwork, includes an image of a flickering flame.
The artist said: "If you take a low humour view of it, that's really in
your mind, not mine."
One resident said souvenir hawkers were in poorer taste
Christopher Roilph, who lives in the building, said he appreciated Mr Peterson's point.
"The nature of art is that
it changes your mind about things and causes you to have
feelings," he said.
Donnahue Osbourne, an engineering technician, said the
painting was not as offensive as hawkers selling World Trade Center
souvenirs at the site.
But he said: "It doesn't
fit. It just doesn't fit."