Chuck Sperry

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“Joe Strummer, London 1975” Blotter for Dead Rockstars at Blunt Graffix & Online Release

“Joe Strummer, London 1975” Blotter • Edition of 300 • 11.25 x 9 • BC Blotter Co • (with border)
Vegetable based inks • 80# unbleached cotton paper • Signed and Numbered

“Dead Rockstars!” opens Saturday, February 7 at 5 pm to 10 pm at Blunt Graffix 1040 Tyinn Street, Suite 3, Eugene, Oregon. My newest blotter “Joe Strummer, London 1975” will be made available at the show, and later to my friends and supporters with a special online release.

“Everyone has a favorite rock musician,” Sperry says, “one that symbolizes youth and joy and exploration. These archetypes are burned into our psyches.” This year, he will present a blotter art piece called “Joe Strummer, London 1975.” 
— Eugene Weekly, February 5, 2026

I will make a limited online launch of “Joe Strummer, London 1975” through EQL launch opening on Tuesday, February 10, 2026 at 9 am PST. The launch closes on Wednesday, February 11, 2026 at 9 pm PST. The ballot will be open for 36 hours. As long as you enter during this timeframe, time of entry does not impact your chances of purchase. Multiple entries per launch will be penalized. You may only win 1 blotter from the live launches within this 36 hour period. One per household.

Visit the launch page for the release (Set a reminder – countdown and launch):

JOIN EQL LAUNCH

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“Joe Strummer, London 1975” Print for Dead Rockstars Show in Eugene, Oregon

“Joe Strummer, London 1975”
Chuck Sperry and Julian Yewdall
30 x 22
Edition of 50
5 colors on archival cream paper
Signed and Numbered (by Chuck Sperry)
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Here’s my contribution to the Dead Rockstars show: “Joe Strummer, London 1975”
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I’m collaborating with UK Photographer, Julian Yewdall, who is a noted chronicler of the Clash and was a former bandmate of Joe Strummer. Julian and Joe played together in the 101ers, Strummer’s band before he joined the Clash.
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Our piece is a never before released photo entitled “Joe Strummer, London, 1975.” It shows Joe Strummer smoking a hash joint in a London bar. I met Julian Yewdall in London in 2008 and he invited me to his flat, and showed me this photo.
We discussed a sort of liquid light show color treatment at the time, a merging of London punk with San Francisco psychedelia.
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Having met Bill Ham, San Francisco’s pioneering liquid light show master from the beginning of San Francisco’s psychedelic movement, I had seen the gear he uses to produce his shows and learned something of his techniques. I used film slides and oil and ink to create the liquid light show patterns that work through the print. Julian Yewdall’s reaction to the color treatment I gave the photo, “I like the way you have added to the already existing water marks and dust that I left on the original print, and the addition of colour brings a whole new dimension.”
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Dead Rockstars seemed the perfect opportunity to release this print collaboration.
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Opening reception will be February 2nd 2012 in Eugene Oregon at Blunt Graffix, a 2000 sq. ft. artist studio. Doors open at 6pm and the show runs through February 24th. The art will then move to THE WAVE Art Gallery, located in the historic Whitaker district, and remain until late March.

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Sperry Books: “Color x Color” • “Helikon” • “Chthoneon” • “Idyllion”

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