Were we all fooled by the Hollywood hype, the glitz and the glam that surrounded Dietrich, Hepburn, Bogart and Bacall, the romance of a midnight tête à tête in a café on the Champs-Élysées filled with the scent of Gauloises, or the dark corner of the Whisky a Go Go, the sounds of a lazy saxophone emanating from behind a cloak of cigarette smoke filling lungs with every breath you take?
The relationship between smoking, fashion, music and photography has fascinated Trevor Spiro, a British fashion photographer, for over thirty years and is a central feature of this exhibition of his work Since 1998 his widespread multi-media contributions on the Internet have cemented his reputation as expert in this subject. Whilst the health risks of smoking are well known if not universally accepted, cigarette companies would have you believe that smoking is still ‘classy’, ‘sexy’ and ‘mature’ in contemporary society, even if the habit shows decreasing social acceptance having in many countries been relegated to the pavement if not the gutter. Whether you agree or disagree is irrelevant.
Spiro’s images are thought provoking allowing you, the viewer, to decide for yourself. Whatever your opinion, and you are sure to have one, you are almost certain to feel as passionate about it as he does.