Posters promoting The Rolling Stones' 2016 “Exhibitionism” event at London’s prestigious Saatchi Gallery have caused a scandal in London.
The Guardian reports the neon ad – which shows the crotch of a woman in a bikini, with John Pasche’s famous lips logo placed in a cheeky position – has been banned on the London Underground and at bus stops around the city until a new, less lewd version of the poster is provided.
Created by British designer Mark Norton with help from Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts, the Stones were advised that the “Exhibitionism” poster was not suitable to run in its original form. For it to be approved for public display, the group were told the logo must be moved away from the crotch and on to the woman’s belly button instead.
The “tongue over belly button” posters will go up in London on Monday, while the rest of the country will receive the original “tongue over pants”.
A spokesperson for the Rolling Stones says: “We are dumbfounded and perplexed at this rather silly decision. Perhaps something to do with the fact that it’s the Rolling Stones and controversy still seems to follow them everywhere.”
Set to open April 6, 2016, “Exhibitionism” will see the band display items from their 50-year career and feature more than 500 important and unseen artefacts from the group’s personal archives, embracing all aspects of art & design, film, video, fashion, performance, rare sound archives, and the musical heritage that took them from a hard working London blues band in the early 1960s to iconic worldwide status.
Tickets for the exhibition will go on sale to the general public July 10 at 9am London time and will be available at stonesexhibitionism.com or in person at the Saatchi Gallery from 10am.
Following the London event, “Exhibitionism” will visit 11 other cities around the world over a four-year period.
The Rolling Stones are currently playing shows on their Zip Code North American stadium tour.
See also:
Rolling Stones announce London exhibition
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Search Rolling Stones at hennemusic
