Artist responsible for Yellow Pages cover disappointed by controversy

Lennox Coke, the artist who designed the controversial cover of the 2017 Yellow Pages by Flow, has expressed disappointment at the controversy that has come in response to his artwork.

The furore developed based on a cover which features women and men at a dancehall-themed party.
  
The Gleaner reported on Thursday that the Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society contacted Global Directories, which published the directory, expressing concern. This caused Global Directories to publish an alternative cover.
  
Speaking publicly for the first time since the controversy, Mr. Coke, who describes his work as representative art, outlined that his work merely reflects the society so the controversy is unnecessary.

"We see in the past where our icons now, like Miss Lou and our reggae icon, Bob Marley...were also ridiculed about their expression about our culture that they were expressing through the art form. People go through great lengths to censure art, and art cannot be censured because art is the truest thing to a group of people," he asserted.  

But despite the controversy, Mr. Coke added that he has reason to be encouraged.  
  
"I also embrace that there are positive responses coming from different sectors of the society that like it, that also accept that it is part of us and is just an expression," the artist said. 

In the meantime, the Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society, has maintained its objection to the use of the photograph.
   
Dr. Wayne West, who is chairman of the group, acknowledged that the concerns were not intended to ridicule the culture of dancehall. Instead, he said the concern is primarily for children.

"For the young people, like the children going to school, who have this on the Yellow Pages, in the directory in their homes, in their churches, etc., what value is this passing on?" he questioned. 

Both men were guests on RJR's Beyond The Headlines on Thursday.