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Sir Mick Jagger’s lips bought by Victoria & Albert Museum

Updated: September 23 2008, 9:20 CET

RollingStonesTongueLogo

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LONDON: The Victoria & Albert Museum in London just bought the original Rolling Stones logo artwork, created by art student John Pasche in 1970. The logo, partly inspired by the distinctive shape of lead singer Sir Mick Jagger’s lips, was sold at Christie’s in the US for $92,500 and will be on show at the museum’s permanent collection.

The V&A Museum had previously asked about loaning the 14-inch square colour separated, handpainted artwork for a forthcoming exhibition. Hearing of the sale, they decided to acquire it for their permanent collection. Victoria Broackes, Head of Exhibitions, V&A Theatre and Performance Collections, stated: “The Rolling Stones ‘Tongue’ is one of the first examples of a group using branding and it has become arguably the world’s most famous rock logo.”
Jagger, who recently turned 65, approached the Royal College of Art in London in 1969 to help him find a design student after being frustrated by the bland proposals offered by the band’s record label, Decca Records. The logo created by the, then 24 year old, Pasche for £50 was first used on the Stones’ Sticky Fingers album and has been in continuous use by the band ever since.
Pasche went on to forge a career in the music business, as an art director at United Artists, then creative director at Chrysalis. Up until three years ago he was creative director for London’s South Bank Centre and now runs his own studio. He told The Guardian newspaper the money will put his 11-year-old son in private school. Pasche: “The design concept for the Tongue was to represent the band’s anti-authoritarian attitude, Mick’s mouth and the obvious sexual connotations. I designed it in such a way that it was easily reproduced and in a style which I thought could stand the test of time.”
Among other Rolling Stones memorabilia at the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum is a photograph (1964) of Mick Jagger by David Bailey.

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