Rolling Stones Memorabilia at Gallery Cha
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
When Kariem Hamed watched the legendary Rolling Stones play at a small club in Amsterdam in 1995, little did he know it would become a lifelong obsession.
Since that first concert, Hamed has traveled to different parts of Europe and the United States just to see the Stones perform.
``I've watched them over 60 times, from the Voodoo Lounge to Licks tours all over the world. I've also been to some special shows. The most special one would have to be in October 2006 when they played at the concert (at Beacon Theatre in New York City) that Martin Scorcese filmed for the documentary `Shine A Light.' It was a really special night,'' Hamed told The Korea Times.
Hamed, who works for ING Life Insurance Korea, may have started a few decades late as a fan of the Stones, formed in 1962. But he has more than made up for lost time by collecting their albums, books and, like any true fan, various Stones memorabilia.
Now his collection of Rolling Stones memorabilia is showcased as part of the ``stART me up! Art Inspired by the Rolling Stones'' exhibition at Gallery Cha, Tongui-dong, central Seoul.
Paintings by Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood and photographs of the band by renowned photographers Annie Liebovitz, Jim Marshall, Gered Mankowitz, Dominique Tarle, Ethan Russell and Michael Putland are also on display. Aside from Hamed's personal collection, some of the art works are from the V!P's gallery in the Netherlands.
The Rolling Stones, currently composed of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood, is considered one of the greatest rock 'n' roll bands of all time and has sold over 200 million albums worldwide.
The band has attracted attention not just in the music world, but in the art world as well. Artist John Pasche created the iconic Tongue and Lip design, which is closely identified with the Stones, and pop artist Andy Warhol designed the ``Sticky Fingers'' and ``Love You Live'' album covers and worked with the Stones several times. Recently, the band tapped Jeff Koons to design the artwork for their ``Licks'' tour in 2002.
One of the interesting items at the exhibition is the Warhol-designed brown paper bag with images of the Stones members biting each other. Hamed said the paper bag was distributed during the party for the Stones' ``Love You Live'' album launch in New York in 1977.
An entire wall of the gallery is dedicated to various Stones posters and promotional flyers throughout the years. Most striking are the ``Bill Graham Presents'' posters, named after the famous concert promoter in the 1960s and designed by San Francisco-based artists for the Stones' concert tours.
Other Stones memorabilia include backstage passes, limited edition CDs, display stands, badges, a Lips and Tongue telephone, sneakers, lighters, bubble gum and a lollipop that was given as a present at the end of the band's tour in London in 2003.
Some of the items have personal significance, like Woods' guitar pick that Hamed caught at the first Rolling Stones concert he attended.
The Rolling Stones have not yet staged a concert in Korea, although they have toured in Japan several times. Hamed is hoping the Stones will go on tour soon and maybe even perform in Seoul.
``I talked to some people and I told them that if the Stones have a tour, they should definitely come to Korea. I think the Korean audience should be able to experience the Stones concert,'' Hamed said.
The exhibition runs through April 10, but the gallery is closed on Sundays. Admission is 1,000 won. Call (02) 730-1700 or gallerycha@gmail.com.