George Underwood

[Beached Male]

Has anyone ever purchased prints from George Underwood, the artist who made some of The Fixx's covers?

I'm wondering if he has their covers available in print form.

I noticed his website has 2 of The Fixx's covers for sale for 6,000 pounds each, which I assume would be the original artwork.

BM

[The Queen]

I always loved his Calm Animals cover the most, and just think, it's available. Let me sell my car.

All joking aside, it is nice to see a visual artist have some success. He is extremely talented and I would hope The Fixx could use him again in the future, I associate their music with his art even to this day.

[Beached Male]

I emailed the link at his website, and he personally responded. He does sell signed prints of just about anything he has done. I looked at his website and he has done some incredible work over the years. I'm going to purchase a print or 2 eventually from him.

Queen- Yes, I agree that The Fixx should consider a cover by him. One thing I would recommend the band look into- make it a commissioned painting that could result in 'limited edition' prints to the buyers, and who knows- the sales of the prints could help buy down the cost of having him do the cover. Myself and 800 others at my work recently commissioned a painting, and in the end it only cost us about $80 each for the limited edition print of the original painting, with the original painting left at our workplace for display. I think this cost was based on $35,000 commission for the artist. When large groups go into a purchase together, it's much easier to make something like this happen.
Just thoughts...
BM

[The Queen]

Wow BM,

That's quite impressive that you guys went into so much effort to get some art. I am impressed.

I have to wonder if Underwood's success is now making him out of reach for The Fixx. I gotta believe they could work something out, his style is unique and so are they.

I wouldn't mind an Underwood print myself. I buy art too, and that is something I would definitely purchase.

[Beached Male]

Queen- At the work related school that I am in, it's a tradition to commission a painter. There are some famous painters who made their name or increase their reach by working with us.

The commission of a painting for a CD cover was probably not contemplated much in the past. Back in the days when we had albums, making a print available of the same work would have little use since in the old days you either enjoyed the album cover itself, or bought a poster of the cover (if it were that famous).

Now that albums are gone, I wonder if this would be a new way to market a CD release, with funds being distributed both to the band and the artist.
Just thoughts...
BM

[Beached Male]

Time to give George a plug -- he continues to have his art displayed at Exhibitions, primarily in the U.K.

Here's his latest "gig," although he is one of many with art displayed. There are 5 x paintings of his at his link, all listed as SOLD (congrats George), with one that is similar to the Beautiful Friction cover. Town is Stow-on-the-Wold (very quaint!).

http://www.fossegallery.com/index.php

George's Bio from that link (very interesting):

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George Underwood

George Underwood was born in 1947. George joined Beckenham Art School in 1963.

At art school George Underwood became more and more interested in music. As a result he pursued a career in the music world. Along with life long friend David Bowie he made one record (The King Bees ) and also a solo record under the name Calvin James.

George returned to art studies and then worked in design studios as an illustrator for two years. Initially he specialised in fantasy, horror and science fiction book covers.

Many of George Underwood colleagues in the music business asked him to do paintings for them. This led to George becoming a freelance artist. Art work for the first T Rex album and later David Bowie's Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust album covers established him as a leading and creative art illustrator.

Over this period George produced literally hundreds of book covers, LP and CD covers, advertisements, portraits and drawings.At the start of the 1970's George Underwood started painting in oils. His paintings were influenced originally by the Viennese School of Fantastic Realism - Ernst Fuchs, Rudolph Hausner and Eric Brauer who were contemporary visionaries, in the same way that Bruegel and Bosch in their time. He was fascinated by their mix of fantasy and realism.

George Underwood paintings are held in many private art collections. One of his art collectors, David Bowie, says: 'George has, over the years, refined his work to the point where I would put him among the top figurative painters coming out of the UK right now. There's a sublime isolation surrounding his subjects that really touches the viewer, the figures being both heroic and vulnerable simultaneously. There's a timeless element in the choice of subject matter that overlaps with the mythical world of Odd Nerdrum, say. Now that a huge shift to painting is taking place, I would expect to see George's name pushed further and further to the front'.

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BM

[Beached Male]

The Fixx just officially announced - George Underwood will be making the cover art for their upcoming album! Post is at both Facebook and Twitter now.