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Top UK artists have worked around the Clash’s famous London Calling cover to pay tribute to Ray Lowry, the man behind this artwork.

30 artists have joined forces to show how Ray Lowry has influenced the art world in general and each one of them in particular. Among the artists involved: Tracey Emin who was nominated for the Turner Prize in 1999, Billy Childish whose prolific body of work includes 40 published collections of poetry, 4 novels and some 2,500 paintings; Nick Hornby who wrote the screenplay for the film An Education for which he was recently nominated for an Oscar and a BAFTA for the Best Adapted Screenplay.
Their creations will be presented in a very special exhibition opening at the Idea Generation Gallery in London on 18th June. It will run until 4th July and should not be missed. It is a unique opportunity to discover at the same time some new works inspired by Ray Lowry as well as Ray’ s private sketchbooks, personal letters and previously unseen photographs or even paintings. In his life, Lowry published three collections of his drawings – Only Rock and Roll –  This Space to Let  and Ray Lowry (1986) - Ink (1998).  
The London Calling exhibition will give to each visitor a better understanding of who stood behind one of the greatest illustrators of the past four decades.  As British photographer Kevin Cummins says: “ Ray Lowry’s cartoons, Pennis Smith’s photos and Nick Kent’s rambling prose were the three things in the NME* that made me standing in the rain waiting for the newsagents to open every Wednesday at 7am. “

Lowry was first of all a cartoonist for publications such as the International Times. He got into the music industry thanks to his contribution to the NME for which he produced pocket cartoons, strips and a wide variety of illustrations. Fan of rock n’ roll, he got in contact with the Clash at a concert at the Electric Circus whilst they were supporting the Sex Pistols on their infamous Anarchy in the UK tour. From that day they became friends and Lowry got invited to the Clash 1979 US tour where he was promoted as the band’s “official war artist”: “Within three weeks I had gone from a fan to one of the band ‘s intimate entourage. The first time I got behind the wheel of the minibus, with The Clash in the back, I felt a bit awestruck.” (Ray Lowry)

The retrospective to come is a result of a collaboration between The Idea Generation Gallery and the Ray Lowry Foundation that has been set up to help any potential artist to fulfil his or her dreams. The foundation will officially launch on 17th June 2010 to coincide with the exhibition. All works exhibited and donated will tour the world before being auctioned in aid of the foundation.

 

The Ray Lowry retrospective London Calling
Idea Generation Gallery
18th June – 4th July 2010
11 Chance Street,
E2 7JB London
Tel+44 (0) 20 7749 6850

 www.ideageneration.co.uk

 

30 artists including: Tracey Emin, Billy Childish, Nick Hornby, Humphrey Ocean, John Squire, Keith Allen, Arthur Smith, Ed Vaizey, Harry Hill, John Butterworth, Kosmo Vinyl, Magda Archer, Johnny Green, Ian Wright, John Hiatt, Julian Temple, Don Letts, Malcom Garrett, Paul Simonon, Amy McDonough, Sam Jackson, Luke Jackson.

 

*The New Musical Express (better known as the NME) is a popular music magazine in the United Kingdom that has been published weekly since March 1952.

 

 

Sources: www.ideageneration.co.uk

 

Text by Delphine Hervieu.

TAGS: Tracey Emin Billy Childish Nick Hornby Humphrey Ocean John Squire Keith Allen Arthur Smith Ed Vaizey Harry Hill John Butterworth Kosmo Vinyl Magda Archer Johnny Green Ian Wright John Hiatt Julian Temple Don Letts Malcom Garrett Paul Simonon Amy McDonough Sam Jackson Luke Jackson idea generation gallery ray lowry ray lowry foundation NmE london calling the clash anarchy in the uk tour 1979 Sex pistols electric circus kevin cummins art retrospective dolce&gabbana dolce & gabbana d&g d & g luxury online magazine