Satisfaction from the art of a Stone

HIS riffs are legendary, his craggy face as familiar as Jagger’s and his rock status iconic, but this time Ronnie Wood is displaying another kind of artistry.

For only the second time in four years, a major collection of drawings and etchings by the Rolling Stones guitarist have gone on exhibition in Ireland.

His works were unveiled yesterday at a special exhibition space in Dublin’s Temple Bar and show just how accomplished an artist he is. The exhibition, his first one-man show in Ireland, consists of a number of original works, as well as screen-prints and etchings, mostly of his friends in the entertainment business.

Like many of the musicians of his era, Wood started off in art college. But again like so many of them, music got in the way.

However, throughout the years Wood always kept his interest in art alive.

Though his career as a musician quickly overtook his aspirations to become a professional painter, he has continued painting, drawing and printmaking for over 35 years.

Wood, who lives in Kildare, has painted portraits of many legendary rock ‘n’ roll, pop and rhythm & blues performers: Jimi Hendrix, Chuck Berry, Jim Morrison, Elvis Presley, Eric Clapton, John Lennon, Annie Lennox and Madonna, to name but a few - all friends or admired colleagues.

He also paints the Stones: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, and himself.

His portraits of his fellow band members capture the energy, dynamics and presence of the Rolling Stones, both on stage and off.

The scope of Wood’s visual works extend beyond that of fellow musicians and entertainers.

He has also painted a number of landscape, nature and wildlife images and is a vocal advocate for global conservation and the preservation of wildlife.

In 1987, Wood released The Works, a book which chronicled many of his experiences as a rock guitarist.

The book was richly illustrated with his paintings, surprising many of his fans who were unaware of his skills as a visual artist.

Also that year, he began a series of exhibitions in England, Japan and the US. Since then, one San Francisco art gallery has sold over $3 million (€2.2m) worth of his art.

A major exhibition of Wood’s original paintings was held at the Apollo Gallery in Dublin in December 2001. It coincided with the launch of his CD, Not For Beginners, and a concert in Vicar’s Street.

This is his first time exhibiting his art work here on his own.

The exhibition in The Project Office, Exchange Street Upper, runs through until Saturday, March 19. It will be closed on St Patrick’s Day.