Works by Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones will be on view at Image Makers Art/Gallery of Stars in New Hope, Pa.
By: Anthony Stoeckert
The Rolling Stones are touring Europe this summer, and one of its members is putting on a solo show in New Hope, Pa. Ronnie Wood won’t be in town playing music, but his artwork will make an appearance at Image Makers Art/Gallery of Stars June 9 to July 31.
Though Mr. Wood is known better for his work with a six string than a paint brush, art has been an important part of his life since his childhood in Middlesex, England. He attended Ealing College of Art in London, but success in bands such as The Faces and then The Rolling Stones sent him on a historically successful journey as a rock star.
Of his passion for art, Mr. Wood once said, "At a very early age you either take a shine to something or you don’t. For me, drawing was all I wanted to do, that and drumming."
The drumming part may come as a surprise, but a look at Mr. Wood’s art shows that it comes from experienced hands. He has rendered many rock stars past and present, including Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Marvin Gaye, Jim Morrison, former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash, and U2 guitarist The Edge. His drawing of guitar god Eric Clapton graced the cover of Clapton’s career-retrospective CD boxed set Crossroads in 1988.
But the subject he paints the most is The Rolling Stones (introduced at its shows as the world’s greatest rock ‘n’ roll band). Two newer works that will be on sale at the New Hope exhibit are "Big Bang Blue" and "Big Bang Red," named after the Stones’ 2005 album and current tour. Both works show Mr. Wood, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger in classic rock-star poses. Behind them is drummer Charlie Watts and to their left is bassist (and unofficial band member) Darryl Jones. Rounding out Mr. Woods’ effort to capture the feel of a rock concert are background musicians and lighting.
Mr. Wood’s work is extremely popular with fans of celebrity art. Jacqueline Block, director of Gallery of Stars, says a series of sketches by Mr. Wood of the Stones rehearsing was a fast-seller at the gallery.
"That’s why he’s so popular," Ms. Block says, "because there are so many Stones fans."
The exhibit is the latest for Image Makers, which started in Philadelphia in 1992 with the goal of dealing works of art by musicians and actors. It started with an exhibit of paintings and prints by Jerry Garcia, John Lennon, Tony Bennett, Bob Dylan, David Bowie and others. The exhibit toured nationally from 1992 to 1999 and was covered in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and on VH1. Gallery of Stars moved to New Hope in 1998.
Mr. Garcia is of particular importance to Image Makers. The work of the Grateful Dead singer and guitarist has been a prominent part of its history, with the gallery owning one of the biggest collections of Garcia’s work. Ms. Block says a lot of people even refer to Image Makers as "the Jerry Garcia gallery."
Some of the pieces on sale at the gallery will be recognizable to rock aficionados. A self-portrait of Lennon was used for the poster art for the 1988 documentary Imagine: John Lennon. Another sketch of Lennon, featuring him with birds perched on his shoulders, was used as the cover art of the CD single of "Free as a Bird" in 1995.
A trip to the gallery is a must for any Bob Dylan fan. On view is the self-portrait he painted for his 1970 album "Self Portrait." The music on the album is widely viewed as a failure, but the painting is part of Dylan history.
Other works at the gallery include a wall of Tony Bennett’s art (featuring, of course, some scenes of San Francisco). Fans of The Who will love a painting by John Entwistle. The work shows the band’s members, with Entwistle in his 50s, alongside younger versions of his co-horts Pete Townshend, Roger Daltry and Keith Moon.
Much of these works will be taken down during the Ronnie Wood exhibit, though it will all be for sale. Ms. Block says Mr. Garcia’s works will remain on view because of the gallery’s affiliation with him.
A visit to Gallery of Stars is a must for any fan of this music. On the day I visited, I took in the art of these legends while listening to the sounds the Grateful Dead album American Beauty.
In promoting the show, Ms. Block points out a quote from Mr. Wood: "I always intermingle my art with music, letting one be conducive to the other."
"That’s what we’re doing here," she says. "We play the music, we have the art, and everything is connected."
Art by Ronnie Wood will be on view at Image Makers Art/Gallery of Stars, 12 W. Mechanic St., New Hope, Pa., June 9-July 31. Hours: Thurs.-Mon. noon-6 p.m. For information, call (215) 862-4858. On the Web: www.imagemakersart.com.