ABOUT ROD - News, August 21, 2008: Ronnie Woods Art Exhibition

The Ronnie Wood exhibition at Liverpool’s Academy of Art is a double bill with the 17th open exhibition of Beatle-inspired art by Merseyside painters,

Anyone expecting a plush London Art Gallery atmosphere will be hugely disappointed. I called in at lunchtime on Thursday and after fighting my way through the hundreds of workmen working on the revitalizing of the 2008 City of Culture I opened the door to be greeted by four ‘arty’ looking ladies who told me The Beatles are in this room and Ronnie Wood is through there. I had a quick look at The Beatles room a few dodgy pictures and a few extremely good ones and some costumes from the Sgt Pepper era, but to be honest I was the only person in the room. The Beatles don’t do much for me and I couldn’t wait to get into Ronnie’s room (also staged by Lennon art promoter Jonathan Pool) so into Ronnie’s room I went.
Ronnie trained at Ealing College of Art, London. His subjects range from band members, musicians he admires; either knows or knew and has sometimes played with, along with his famous self portraits.

It was in the early 80’s that Ronnie started to produce his first prints, three woodcuts and a series of monotypes and in 1987 he spent several months working in a professional printmaking studio in England. Since then he has devoted a large amount of time to printmaking producing a number of images using various techniques-etching, drypoint, screenprint and digital.

It was a bit busier in here - three of us! Many of Ron’s Stones paintings are on show here both as a group and as band members a couple of Charlie at the drums are notable stand outs and there are some truly stunning self portraits. I would love a print of Ronnie [Voodoo] but as the prints sell at up to £3,000 I didn’t check the price out!

A few different subjects here include a beautiful Irish landscape and a rooftop sketch of Berlin, some of Ronnie’s wildlife studies and a jazz series featuring the likes of Duke Ellington, Miles Davies and Howlin’ Wolf.
Of particular interest to SMILER members will be Ron’s unusual take on the Five Guys box set cover, a Rod portrait and the Rod and Ron painting [that is pictured here].

The exhibition runs until 29th August and is well worth a visit.

I was hoping for some kind of merchandise, with original paintings on sale at £26,000 a postcard would have done, but the only thing on sale was the expensive Ronnie Wood print Collection book that was reviewed in issue 76 of SMILER, but in the Gift Company shop on The Albert Dock I did find a canvas by Ronnie from the Whatever it Takes series called Tusk for just £2.00.

http://www.whateverittakes.org/product.php?pid=115