The Paris Metro has banned a promotional poster for the upcoming David Hockney exhibition at the Fondation Louis Vuitton. The poster features a photograph of the 87-year-old artist holding a cigarette next to one of his new paintings. French law prohibits any form of direct or indirect advertising of tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes.
The Paris transport authorities have taken issue with Hockney holding a cigarette in the photograph but have no objection to the fact that the painting he is holding also depicts him smoking. Hockney expressed his disdain for the decision, calling it “complete madness.” He said, “The bossiness of those in charge of our lives knows no limits. To hear from a lawyer from the Metro banning an image is bad enough but for them to cite a difference between a photograph and a painting seems to me, complete madness.”
The artist, known as a famous advocate of smoking, added, “I am used to the interfering bossiness of people stopping people making their own choices but this is petty.
Cigarette controversy mars Hockney poster
Art has always been a path to free expression and this is a dismal decision.”
Exhibition curator Sir Norman Rosenthal also objected to the ban, calling it censorship. “Madness reigns,” he said.
“To have censorship of this kind with a poster promoting one of the greatest exhibitions of a living artist for a generation is beyond comprehension. Paris is a city of freedom and revolution wrapped into its history – this flies in the face of that.”
The David Hockney exhibition, which opens on April 9 and runs until August 31, will be the largest showcase ever staged of the artist’s work. It will occupy all eleven galleries of the Fondation Louis Vuitton, featuring over 400 works spanning seven decades.
This is not the first time Hockney has clashed with authorities over his smoking habit. He has been a long-time opponent of smoking restrictions, having campaigned against the 2005 smoking ban in the UK and even appearing at the Labour Party Conference that year holding a sign that read: “DEATH awaits you all even if you do smoke.”
Despite the setback in its promotional campaign, the David Hockney exhibition is expected to draw significant attention as a testament to the artist’s unique vision and the ongoing debate over artistic freedom and societal norms.
