Don’t miss out on Gotta Have Rock and Roll’s (GHRR) first art auction featuring an impressive collection. GHRR is known for curating collections of hip-hop, rock and roll, and pop-culture memorabilia. However, this auction will showcase their stunning art pieces. You can expect to see works by renowned artists such as Haring, Warhol, Picasso, Basquiat, Banksy, Koons, and more. One piece that will catch the eye of music and art enthusiasts is the original album cover artwork for the Rolling Stones’ “It’s Only Rock and Roll,” created by Guy Peelart.
Peellaert was first involved with the Rolling Stones in his first book, “Rock Dreams”. Since the book depicts the Rolling Stones in less than a desirable light, Peelaert captured the attention of the Rolling Stones. Despite his negative depiction, the Rolling Stones hired him to do the album artwork for their most recent project: “It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll” (IORR). The IORR album cover depicts the five band members descending a long staircase surrounded by “fans”.
Peellaert happily experimented as a painter, illustrator, graphic artist and photographer. Through the multiple mediums Peelaert implemented, his art created a dark side to the Pop Art movement. In 1974, Elle magazine called him “the Michelangelo of Pop”, a testament to his influential and collectable art, which remains in great demand today.
Although not a science, the artistic methodology for the IORR album cover followed a specifically formulated process originating in photographic material. Due to the need for photos, Peellaert collected thousands of photographs of rock personalities, celebrities’ faces, body parts, backgrounds, objects and other items of potential interest. In time this would grow into an archive of staggering size. To prepare for the final artwork, Peelaert started by creating a rough sketch of the future composition, similar to storyboarding a one-image movie. After outlining the graphic, Peelaert then painted the backgrounds and settings.
Peellaert dedicated a considerable amount of time to researching pictures for his artwork. He and his team would meticulously comb through their stored materials and collect new images to serve as the foundation for his creations. Peellaert’s primary sources of inspiration were magazines and books he had collected during the Pop Art era. Additionally, he would obtain images from picture agencies and take photos himself using a Polaroid camera. Like many artists of his time, Peellaert frequently captured pictures of people he knew, himself, and even strangers to add to his extensive collection.
Creating a photomontage as intricate as the “It’s Only Rock and Roll” Album cover here requires careful consideration of many elements. Belgian artist Guy Peelaert, known for his pioneering work in the genre, utilizes a unique technique involving the replacement of his subjects’ heads with those of other individuals, a process requiring precise scaling to ensure a cohesive final product. Once the various layers of the photomontage have been assembled, Peelaert prints the composition onto a specialized type of photo paper, enhancing the vibrancy and impact of the colours used. The result is a visually stunning work of art that is both innovative and thought-provoking.
This album cover has a unique backstory, and you now have the chance to bid on the original artwork, which is one-of-a-kind. The Rolling Stones fans are well aware of the importance of this album and its iconic cover in the band’s career. The minimum bid begins at $100,000, and is predicted to go for over $200,000.
Auction live at Gottahaverockandroll.com until June 2nd.
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