Also announcing a special summer tour companion print created especially for Eric Clapton's Hyde Park Concert on 28 June!
A unique opportunity currently exists for Eric Clapton fans, concert poster and print collectors and rock memorabilia enthusiasts to own an extraordinary item: a "matched number" set of limited edition art prints that commemorate both Eric Clapton's Summer Tour and his upcoming concert on 28 June in Hyde Park London! One hundred percent of the proceeds from the auction will benefit Crossroads Antigua, an international, non-profit facility for recovery from alcohol and drug dependence founded by Eric Clapton.
In this truly special fundraising event, Eric Clapton Sales is currently auctioning a set of "number matched" hand-pulled prints from the "Summer Tour" and "Hyde Park" series by Firehouse Kustom Rockart. Only a few matched sets exist and all will be auctioned by Eric Clapton Sales on eBay to benefit Crossroads Antigua. Matched print numbers enhance collectibility. The first eBay auction is currently underway and offers print number 25 / 1000 (Summer Tour) and print number 25 / 500 (Hyde Park Concert). When that auction ends on 20 June, the next number in sequence will be offered until all of the matched sets are gone. These matched print sets will not be available elsewhere! (Unless, of course, they become available at a later date on the secondary collectible market).
Each print in each limited edition measures 20" x 20". These are not mere concert posters but works of art.
To commemorate the 2008 Eric Clapton Summer Tour, a limited edition series of 1000 prints from Firehouse Kustom Rockart Company was created. Firehouse Artists Chuck Sperry and Ron Donovan chose to use Eric Clapton's most famous guitar, the Fender Stratocaster "Blackie" as the predominant theme, with elements of his Gibson ES-335 to create the dramatic image. The 1000 posters in the edition are hand-numbered and signed by the artists.
To celebrate Eric Clapton's 28 June concert in London's Hyde Park, Firehouse Kustom Rockart created an extra special companion print. Limited to just 500 prints all made entirely by hand, its design complements that of the Summer Tour Limited Edition Poster. The Hyde Park Print shows a detail of Eric's Gibson ES-335, which he purchased in 1964. The print design draws from the guitar's headstock with the Hare Krishna stamp placed there by George Harrison. Design elements inspired by Eric's "Blackie" are also included to complete the theme. Each poster in this smaller series is also numbered and signed by the artists, Chuck Sperry and Ron Donovan.
All limited edition prints from Firehouse Kustom Rockart are crafted individually on rich papers using traditional hand printed silk screen techniques. Sperry's and Donovan's work is easily recognizable by their unique style of color theory, characterized by the use of metallics over striking colors. The metallic inks and extraordinary colour palette used by the artists is never done justice in photographs.
Previously, Firehouse Kustom Rockart has created several limited edition prints for Eric Clapton:
- Madison Square Garden Concerts 2006
- 2007 Australian Tour
- 2007 U.S. Tour
- Second Crossroads Guitar Festival 2007
All of these editions have become highly sought after by fans of Eric Clapton as well as poster and print collectors and rock memorabilia enthusiasts.
Images of each limited edition print will be added here soon -- in the meanwhile, you can check out the posters by visiting the eBay Auction.
The Summer Tour Limited Edition Poster will continue to sold as an individual art print at all upcoming gigs in Ireland, England and throughout Europe this summer, including Hyde Park. It was previously available at all U.S. and Canada dates. The only way to get a matched set of both the Summer Tour and Hyde Park commemorative prints is through the eBay Auction by Eric Clapton Sales. Matched print sets will not be available at venues; prints will only be sold as individual items.
About the artists:
Firehouse Kustom Rockart Company - Chuck Sperry and Ron Donovan - has created posters for Queens of the Stone Age, Madness, Jane's Addiction, Supersuckers, Garbage, Bad Religion, Johnny Cash, John Lee Hooker, Lee Perry, Cheap Trick and a much sought after series of posters for Virgin Megastore (including Pearl Jam, Fleetwood Mac, Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Smashing Pumpkins, Beastie Boys, U2, Madonna, Limp Bizkit, Hole and Ricky Martin). Although the artists of the Firehouse, Chuck Sperry and Ron Donovan, have worked with numerous major rock bands, they have maintained their street credibility by furnishing posters for such events as Incredibly Strange Wrestling, which mixes punk bands and Mexican wrestlers. They have created a body of work that is an eye-popping collection of the rock and roll posters and ephemera. Their rock poster art can also be seen in a beautifully illustrated 96 page book published by Last Gasp of San Francisco - "Eyesore: Recent Litter From The Firehouse Kustom Rockart Company." The artists were also included in Dennis King and Paul Grushkin in their book, The Art of Modern Rock.
About Eric Clapton Sales
Eric Clapton Sales is an eBay Store where all proceeds from items sold benefit the Crossroads Centre at Antigua. Everything sold in the online store is genuine Eric Clapton merchandise. Visitors to Eric Clapton Sales on eBay can purchase unique collectibles such as limited edition prints, backstage passes (unused from previous tours), tour programmes, catalogs, a variety of T-shirts, caps, commemorative guitar pick collections and more! The available items change periodically. Eric Clapton Sales ships worldwide.
About Crossroads Centre Antigua
The Crossroads Centre at Antigua is an international, non-profit facility for recovery from alcohol and drug dependence found by Eric Clapton in 1997. The mission is to provide quality care and treatment that is both affordable and accessible. In keeping with this, a foundation based in the United States and a charitable trust in the United Kingdom raise funds to help support those who are unable to afford treatment
Related Links:
Eric Clapton Sales - Eric Clapton's OFFICIAL eBay Store
First Auction - Print 25 / 1000 (Summer Tour) and 25 / 500 (Hyde Park)
