| November 4th, 2005 06:58 AM |
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| Nellcote |
One of the First Galleries in the World to Show Wood's Now Internationally
Acclaimed Art (in 1987), SFAE's New Exhibition Coincides With the Rolling
Stones November 13 & 15 Dates at SF's SBC Park
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Ronnie Wood's (b. 1947) incarnation
as an internationally renowned visual artist has long paralleled his marathon
career as one of the greatest rock and roll guitarists of all time -- and
arguably the best slide guitar player living today. In recent years, the high
profile acclaim and notoriety Wood draws for his works of art has equaled his
iconic musical fame as a solo artist and key member of legendary bands
including the Jeff Beck Group, Faces and, currently, the Rolling Stones.
Earlier this year, Wood hit the $1 million mark for the sale of a single
painting, after having sold many in the $100,000+ ballpark. Via his museum
quality limited edition print portfolios, Wood is perennially one of a handful
of top-selling published artists in the United States. On November 9, the San
Francisco Art Exchange (SFAE) -- in 1987, one of the first galleries in the
world to show Wood's work, and the very first in the U.S. -- will open their
doors to a new exhibition of his paintings, prints and drawings.
The show, whose opening week coincides with the Stones tour's swing
through San Francisco -- 11/13 & 15 at SBC Park -- will publicly unveil the
painting "Five Guys Walk Into A Bar," an homage to Wood's previous band, the
Faces (whose lead vocalist was Rod Stewart). It also marks the premiere of an
edition of the mixed-media print "Conversation Piece," an insider's view of
the Rolling Stones kicking back in a recording studio, and a new image of Bob
Marley. Also featured will be Wood's deftly rendered portraits of Jack
Nicholson, Bob Dylan and each of the Stones individually, among others. In
addition to Wood's pieces on celebrity subjects, notable for the immediacy and
spirit with which they capture famous likenesses, SFAE will display the scenic
landscapes and animal studies for which he's also renowned.
"What's important to know is that Ronnie's always been an artist, it's not
a later in life pursuit," says SFAE Director Theron Kabrich, who met Wood in
the '80s through his friend Phil Carson, the famed rock manager (Led Zeppelin,
Yes) who was then steering Wood's dual careers. "When he was at art school,
he fully expected to pursue a career in graphic art. After he got into music,
he never stopped producing art, and that depth and breadth of experience shows
in the confident, fluid lines in his work."
It was Ronnie Wood's mother's artistic talent that first inspired him to
create his own works, leading to a prize-winning submission to "Sketch Club,"
BBC-TV's popular art-themed show of the late '50s/'60s. Prior to his
enrollment at Ealing Art College, Wood's public musical debut had been playing
the washboard with his older brother's skiffle group. But, like many similar
U.K. institutions of the day, Ealing was a fertile breeding ground for bands,
generating a who's who of budding artists come rock stars that, besides Wood,
included David Bowie, Ray Davies, Mick Jagger, John Lennon, and Pete
Townshend. Among them and others, Wood was the only one who never put the
brush down after picking up the guitar, pursuing both passions for the long
run with equal intensity.
In addition to galleries worldwide, Wood's work has been spotlighted in a
major solo retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in Sao Paulo, Brazil, at
London's Theatre Royal, Drury Lane during the run of Mel Brooks' theatrical
smash "The Producers," and with a special exhibition at the Rock and Roll Hall
of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, OH.
San Francisco-based artist agent Danny Stern, who manages Wood's art
career, values a comment that the Rock Hall Museum's curator Jim Henke --
formerly a Rolling Stone Magazine editor -- made about Wood. "I'm
paraphrasing a bit here," says Stern, "but he said that Ronnie was 'the only
legitimate folk artist of rock and roll out there.' We talked about rock
music as the hugely significant popular culture medium of the last half
century, and Ronnie, who's considered a musician's musician, as someone who's
both lived through its history and reported on it visually. When he paints or
draws famous friends, he's speaking to his personal landscape, not to
celebrity. He relates to these people on a visceral, emotional level, they're
who he laughs and cries with. He's able to capture the essence of who they
are in a way that no other artist can."
Wood's last SFAE show was in September 2004. Scheduled around Wood's
visit to California (he has homes in Kingston upon Thames, England and County
Kildare, Ireland) to perform at the Hollywood Bowl with Rod Stewart, the
exhibition's opening drew a visit from the artist. Over the years they've
represented him, SFAE has sold over $10 million of Wood's art, and premiered a
number of his most important published editions.
Co-founded in 1983 by Theron Kabrich and James Hartley, SFAE is a leader
in international fine art sales and publishing, with a global reputation as
premiere purveyors of world-class pop culture imagery including paintings,
illustrations, photography and more. In addition to Ronnie Wood, SFAE has
long represented the art of Alberto Vargas, album cover artist Roger Dean,
fantasy-genre master Boris Vallejo and many noted rock/celebrity
photographers. They are located at 458 Geary Street in San Francisco.
For more information, log on to http://www.sfae.com
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| November 4th, 2005 08:02 AM |
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| mac_daddy |
is this in la this week..?
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| November 4th, 2005 11:35 AM |
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| LadyJane |
I had the pleasure of seeing the exhibit in Boston...with my friends Nellcote and scope.
Don't miss it...it's great.
LJ.
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| November 4th, 2005 11:45 AM |
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| glencar |
I have a RW t-shirt - of himself! |
| November 4th, 2005 01:38 PM |
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| Nellcote |
You mean this one?
 |
| November 4th, 2005 02:01 PM |
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| glencar |
Ding! 1/2 price at rs.com a few months back! |
| November 4th, 2005 02:39 PM |
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| erikjjf |
quote:
mac_daddy wrote:
is this in la this week..?
Nov 5th. Gallery 319, L.A.
www.ronniewood.com |
| November 4th, 2005 04:00 PM |
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| SheRat |
I went to this during the Licks tour...it's pretty fun. Got kinda trashed at the open bar...but I think you need an invitation for the open bar part.
I was on their email list, so... |
| November 4th, 2005 06:22 PM |
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| Bitch |
I would love to see WOODY's paintings. do you need an invitation for this?? |
| November 4th, 2005 06:25 PM |
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| mac_daddy |
quote:
erikjjf wrote:
Nov 5th. Gallery 319, L.A.
www.ronniewood.com
tomorrow!
i am there. thanks for the info. |
| November 4th, 2005 07:43 PM |
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| SheRat |
quote:
Bitch wrote:
I would love to see WOODY's paintings. do you need an invitation for this??
If you're talking about SF, no---you can go into that gallery anytime during business hours and look at whatever they have.
But the party thing (to which I enthusiastically RSVP'd in hopes that maybe Ronnie would show up--it was right around this time during the Licks tour) I think you need to be on their mailing list.
I haven't heard from the gallery, so either they don't have me on their list anymore or nothing "special" is going on for this showing...
[Edited by SheRat] |
| November 4th, 2005 08:20 PM |
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| Bitch |
thanks, if I get to Frisco I'll go to the gallery. Is there a link you can set me up with? I'm making last minute plans. |
| November 7th, 2005 11:28 PM |
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| moy |
RONNIE CAPTURES STONES IN THE STUDIO IN NEW ART PIECE
Rocker-turned-artist RONNIE WOOD has set the Los Angeles art world alight with an intimate portrait of his touring rock band THE ROLLING STONES.
Wood has released a limited edition set of prints of the image, named CONVERSATION PIECE, to his exclusive California dealer at Gallery 319 to coincide with the group's Bigger Bang dates in Orange County and Los Angeles - and it's selling fast.
The painting features the Stones in a studio setting, with MICK JAGGER and KEITH RICHARDS in the foreground and Wood and CHARLIE WATTS behind them.
Gallery spokeswoman MELISSA MENARD says, "Ronnie has literally given us an insider's perspective with Conversation Piece - a view of the guys in the studio, recording the Bigger Bang album.
"Even more rare is the image of Mick with a guitar in hand.
"The piece is on its first week of release and it's quickly on its way to being sold out."
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