London-based artist Russell Marshall has joined forces with gallery Beautiful Crime to produce a limited edition screen print in honour of John Lennon’s 75th birthday: endorsed by Yoko Ono Lennon.
The stunning limited edition screen print will launch at a special ‘bed-in’ on Lennon’s birthday (Oct 9th) and will remain on display as part of a week long event celebrating the much-loved British star.
From 9th- 16th October, Beautiful Crime's gallery space in Shoreditch, London, will be transformed into the Montreal hotel room where Lennon and Yoko held their famous bed-in for peace in 1969 - for Beatles fans and Lennon lovers to visit and take a selfie 'bed-in' style with the fantastic Lennon artwork as a backdrop.
The print itself is based on a classic image of Lennon taken on a New York roof in 1974 by his friend and legendary rock n roll photographer Bob Gruen. Hand screen-printed in retro blue on pearl at Jealous Studios, only 23 out of the 25 prints are available for sale - numbers 1 and 2 are already reserved Gruen and Yoko Ono Lennon.
Artist Russell Marshall said: “I’m delighted to have been able to work with such an amazing piece of rock n roll history and my thanks go to Bob Gruen and Yoko Ono Lennon for allowing me to do so. There are millions of published rock n roll photographs and thousands more are taken every year... but there is maybe a handful of iconic images that define a place, a time, a sound - one moment in music history: Bob Gruen’s rooftop Lennon image is right up there at the top.”
Beautiful Crime Director Liam West added: "We are honoured to be working on such a prestigious project as this with internationally renowned artist Russell Marshall. This iconic image has been re-worked in Marshall's signature screen print style, and to have the support of the photographer of the image, Bob Gruen and permission from Yoko Ono Lennon only adds to the gravitas of this official print release by Beautiful Crime."
Marshall is a rising star on the international art scene. Last year an original canvas signed by the artist sold at auction for £50,000 at the President’s Club Charity dinner, followed by a signed screen-printed colour proof fetching £14,000 at Eva Longoria’s Global Gift Gala. To accompany the Lennon print, titled ‘Lennon 1974’, and explain its history, a short film will also shortly be available to view at www.beautifulcrime.com