Billboard Company Refuses to Run Images of Couples Holding Hands; Billboards intended as part of a Large Exhibition of Polish Art and Film at Real Art Ways

OCTOBER 27, 2006:  A series of billboards by a Polish artist whose work is in the United States as part of Real Art Ways’ new exhibition of contemporary Polish art was rejected by a local billboard company, Lamar Outdoor Advertising of Hartford, which is refusing to run the images.

The images intended for the billboards were created by Karolina Bregula. The 27-year-old photographer took pictures of same sex couples holding hands.  The images have been displayed on billboards in Poland, where part of Bregula’s intention was to make visible a segment of the population that has struggled for acceptance and recognition.

As part of POZA, Real Art Ways multimedia exhibition of the work of 31 contemporary Polish artists, three of Bregula’s images of same-sex couples holding hands were to be displayed by Lamar Outdoor Advertising on billboards in Hartford and New Britain.

After initially agreeing to do the project, Lamar Outdoor Advertising rejected Bregula’s images, and refused to run them on the billboards. (The company gave the go-ahead to the two text-only billboards by another artist that didn’t have images, but Real Art Ways withdrew them in protest of Lamar Outdoor Advertising’s rejection of Bregula’s work.)
 
In a conversation with Real Art Ways’ Executive Director Will K. Wilkins, Lamar’s regional vice president and general manager, Steve Hebert, stated that the company was concerned that the images could be perceived as controversial, and perhaps be marked by graffiti.   When asked by Wilkins if he had any groups in particular in mind, Hebert said he did not.

"To make a decision like this based on the anticipated actions of bigots," says Wilkins, "does a real disservice to the gay and lesbian community and the broader community as well.”

Marek Bartelik, guest curator of the show, says the images are no more provocative than "a print ad for the Gap or Bennetton."

Real Art Ways is committed to providing support for new ideas and disciplines, and has steadily built a diverse and unique audience that crosses lines of color, sexual orientation, economics and age.  This act of censorship is of particular concern to the organization, and to the community it serves. Real Art Ways will protect the rights of artists to express themselves without fear of censorship or interference. Says Kristina Newman-Scott, Visual Arts Manager of Real Art Ways, “Part of my job at Real Art Ways is to ensure that exhibiting artists have access to all the resources they need to represent their vision. It is unfortunate that in 2006 we are still faced with this kind of censorship.”

 

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