50 years of Rock and Roll: Ronnie Wood at Symbolic London

When Ronnie Wood appeared for a moment at the Symbolic London gallery, he attracted the undivided attention of dozens of photographers and journalists.

The guitarist of the Rolling Stones almost had to remind them that the reason for this gathering was not his music, but his art presented in the exhibition Ronnie Wood: A Major Retrospective of 50 Years of Rock and Roll.

Contrary to the fame of their author, the works from the collection are intimate and private. They comprise paintings, sketches, hand-written lyrics and guitars decorated by Wood himself, some of them presented publicly for the first time.

The exhibition focuses on the history and development of Wood’s musical career. Undeniably, it was his part in the legendary rock group that made him famous, even though he also completed full artistic training.

He claims: “My two passions in life are music and art, I can’t imagine one without the other. Through The Stones, The Birds, Faces and Jeff Beck Group I’ve been creating art, collecting objects, pictures and memories that together provide an encounter with the people who influence me, the people I love and my own life experiences.”

The artifacts do provide an insight into Wood’s career across five decades and will present great value to fans of his musical days. Undoubtedly, Bernie Chase, a founder of Symbolic Collection, who specialises in underground artworks and pop-culture memorabilia, was among the admirers of Wood’s talent and personality.

Ronnie Wood’s retrospective is not the only exhibition encouraging rock enthusiasts to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the Rolling Stones with art, as London’s Somerset House is also host to a major photo exhibition on show right now.

But is Wood as talented an artist as he is a musician? Or is it just the legend and immense popularity of the rock star that validates and constitutes the value of the exhibition? The best way to answer these questions would be to see it for yourself.

Agata Gajda

Ronnie Wood: A Major Retrospective of 50 years of Rock and Roll is on show from 9^th August until 9^th November at Symbolic London, 34 Bruton Street, London, W1J 6QX. Open: Mon – Sat, 10:00 – 6:00. For further information or to book visit the Symbolic London website here.