Margaret Thatcher Posters Banned From London ‘s Westminster Tube Station

Margaret Thatcher

The advertising company CBS Outdoor has banned six portraits of the former prime minister, Baroness Thatcher including portraits of her as Queen Victoria and the Virgin Mary because they offend ‘public sensibility’. They were due to be installed this week. Transport for London (TfL) guidelines on “public controversy or sensitivity” are a code written into the CBS contract and the project has now been pulled. A spokesperson for CBS Outdoor said the posters contravened advertising policies.

Curator Ben Moore said he was hopeful of a more democratic decision. The original portraits are currently on view in an exhibition at Gallery Different in Fitzrovia central London which opened last Wednesday, the day of Thatcher’s funeral.

The six selected include a pastiche of Peter Paul Ruben’s The Assumption of the Virgin Mary with Baroness Thatcher’s face replacing Mary’s.They were due to be installed on advertising spaces at the station close to the House of Commons when the Tube closed last night.

You may still see the original paintings/graphics for the posters at ‘Thatcheristic’, a new timely exhibition exploring alternative portraits of the late Baroness Thatcher, opened at London’s Gallery Different with a private view on Wednesday 17th April (the day of Lady Thatcher’s funeral) The exhibition sponsored by Art Below features 10 artists depictions of ‘The Iron Lady’.  The show is open to the public for 10 days, exhibiting 10 artists, tying in with the ‘No.10’ theme.

Artists included are Johan Andersson, kennardphillipps Harry Pye, Nasser Azam, Jonny Briggs, Matt Small and Carne Griffiths. The curator is still waiting to hear back from Billy Childish, Alison Jackson, Stella Vine and Sarah Maple.

Selected works from the exhibition were set to simultaneously feature at Westminster tube station from the 22nd April. They included a large pixellated close-up of Margaret Thatcher’s tearful eye. An image shot whilst the ousted Prime Minister departed 10 Downing Street for the last time. It was created by Saatchi New Sensations Winner Jonny Briggs.

Margaret Thatcher Posters Banned From London's Westminster Tube Station

“All the artists in the show have one thing in common, “we all grew up as Thatcher’s children” remarks Ben Moore, Director of Art Below.

Photos: © ArtLyst 2013 Above Ben Moore Artist/curator

Visit Exhibition Here

Tags

, ,