50 Years of Punk - Joe Strummer - Edition

There’s a reason Mark Illuminati made Joe Strummer the Jack. Part of his 50 Years of Punk collection, Jack of Punk celebrates Joe Strummer, frontman of The Clash, through a story that could only really come from someone who lived through the scene himself.

Mark grew up around London’s emerging punk movement from an extraordinarily young age. Punk, in his words, made him question everything. At 12, he found himself around the bands and characters who would come to define the era. 

There were loyalties too. Mark was firmly on the Sex Pistols side of punk, which apparently came with one important rule:

“We weren’t allowed to like The Clash.”

Fortunately, the story didn't end there. Mark met Joe Strummer many times in the post-punk years and remembers the pair enjoying martinis together at The Groucho Club in Soho.

That personal connection gives Jack of Punk an entirely different provenance from a conventional portrait of a music icon.

Created to mark 50 years since 1976 and the birth of British punk rock, the collection takes three of Mark’s favourite punk figures and casts them as the Jack, Queen and King of traditional Victorian playing cards; Joe is the “naughty Jack.”

The juxtaposition is pure Illuminati: the order and ornamentation of Victorian imagery used to celebrate a musician synonymous with the rebellious energy of The Clash and the punk movement.

Originally created as an oil painting on wood, Jack of Punk is available as a strictly limited edition of 50 prints, each individually hand-finished by Mark Illuminati and presented in a choice of black or white frame.

For collectors searching for Joe Strummer art, The Clash artwork, punk rock art, British music memorabilia and contemporary music-inspired art, this edition brings something particularly compelling: a story connecting the artist directly to the man on the wall.

From being told he wasn't allowed to like The Clash to sharing martinis with Joe Strummer in Soho, some stories could only come out of punk.

Specifications

• Medium: Limited Edition print on Canvas , individually hand embellished with metal leaf. 
• Image size: 60.2 x 80 cm / 23.7" x 31.4"
• Framed Size: 64.4 x 84.2 cm / 25.35" x 33.1"
• Frame Choice: Choose to be Presented in a Slim Black or White Tray Frame.
• Edition Size: Only 50 editions available worldwide.