Jamie Reid, very rare surviving banned American Express poster, framed

Description: JAMIE REID The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle (Amex) - Sex Pistols (1979)To promote the Great Rock ‘N’ Roll Swindle single released in 1979, the original idea for the record sleeve and promotional posters was a picture of Steve Jones taken from the film they had just made of the same name. Instead Jamie Reid came up with the idea of using a fake American Express campaign. He was trying to explain the real relationship with the music industry, in this case Virgin Records – seeing them as a pimp and the band as prostitutes with the punters supplying the cash. That is how the text “young flesh required” evolved. Naturally Amex felt their “symbol of integrity” was at stake and they sued. Richard Branson seemed to find it funny even though it was reported that the court hearing cost at least £30,000. Amex claimed infringement of copyright with the spoof card and their own card design having such similarities that the public would think they were associated with the Sex Pistols. They gained an injunction that meant any posters would have to be withdrawn from public view and destroyed and any records held by Virgin to be recalled. When Branson was asked for his comments outside the court he said: “I shall not be using my American Express card much this week.” This is one of the rare original surviving posters. After the court order, 50 were kept by the printer and later sold, but few originals remain that were in circulation and not destroyed and this is one of them. Unsigned on thin stock with some creasing. Very large print size 1000mm x 700mm with a black frame to 900mm to 1250mm. An investment piece. For more information visit our gallery page at www.arttalkgallery.co.uk PLEASE NOTE WE ONLY SHIP TO THE UK ABOUT JAMIE REID Jamie Reid was born in 1947 in London and went to the John Ruskin Grammar School in Croydon. He left at 16 and went to Wimbledon Art School before enrolling at Croydon Art School in 1964. Towards the end of his studies he met fellow student, Malcolm McLaren, and shared his deep interest in situationist concepts that were a critique of capitalism based on a a mixture of Marxism and surrealism. A leading figure of the movement Guy Debord, wrote an influential booked called Society of the Spectacle in 1967. These ideas played an important role in the revolutionary events and demonstrations of 1968 in Paris, which Reid went over to join. He described himself as a ‘seditionary’, meaning that in speech, writing or behaviour he would encourage people to fight against or oppose the ‘establishment’. In the UK, Reid took to organising protests and sit-ins with McLaren. They believed themselves to be authentic seditionists, that is, rebels dedicated to overtly stirring up discontent and even insurrection towards established authority. Vivienne Westwood would describe her views on the subject as somewhat more straight forward: “We were just saying to the older generation we don’t accept your taboos and your values and you’re all fascists . . . It was the idea that the world was so mismanaged that we hated the older generation because they weren’t doing anything about it.” Reid started the Suburban Press in 1970. Based in Croydon it produced six magazines of the same name which focused on local politics and council corruption using cut out pictures and words which sometimes gave it an angry ‘ransom note’ look. Circulation reached about 5,000 until the press was sold in 1975. The following year, after receiving a telegram from McLaren, Reid headed for central London and helped set up the Sex Pistols’ management company Glitterbest just off Oxford Street. He assumed the role of agitator-at-large, creating visuals that he hoped would be inflammatory and crackle with anarchic energy. His trademark fragmented style created a menacing unease with his ransom-style typography and torn up edges, it fitted John Lydon’s (Jonny Rotten’s) ferocious vocals perfectly. Reid continued to produce posters, ephemera and prints, waging a visual vendetta against (what he saw as) injustices, as he had done for his entire career right up until his death in 2023.

Price: 950 GBP

Location: Hythe

End Time: 2024-11-30T07:54:22.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A GBP