Final Auction Price
*Final prices include buyers premium
$1,080.00
Starting bid: $1.00
We are pleased to offer this early Crazy World of Arthur Brown poster for the FIRST TIME in our auction! This poster was designed by “Hapshash and the Colored Coat” (Michael English and Nigel Waymouth) and produced by the Osiris Visions Printing Company (the image is OA 108 in the series).
Osiris is well known for also printing the popular Hendrix poster widely known to serious collectors. Hapshash posters are some of the most cherished issues in the collectibles world! Few examples of this poster still remain available today in ANY condition and they seldom surface in auctions for collectors.
This blacklight poster (see photos) is extremely colorful complex and described by Nigel Waymouth as “the darkest poster we ever produced” and apt for the ‘god of hellfire’ Arthur Brown. His dynamic performances wild stage antics (including costumes with flapping capes and flaming horned helmet) captivated audiences. He was a pioneer of what is now termed “Shock Rock” influencing generations of artists from Alice Cooper to Marilyn Manson.
The dramatic split color printing of this poster allows for wide variations of color across print run from blended reds to purple and the yellow and orange at the top. The split rainbow printing is frequently different in the center of the poster and the hue of Brown's face horned helmet and eyes can vary dramatically under the blue ink pass.
It was not uncommon for counterculture artists to include cautionary messages within their work about the excessive use of drugs. Here we see Micky Mouse as a Heroin addict shooting up and Donald Duck looking on with anger. Incidentally the countless stones that look like skulls of the dammed include the cryptic message of "Stone Free". Perhaps a warning of the liberal use of drugs within the counterculture and its potential consequences.
This example is uncut from the printer. We have never seen another uncut copy which makes this piece unique. At the edges you can get a feel for the overlaying of the rainbow colors on the first black in the run of this silk screen process. The poster is also slightly larger and usually the edge detail of the poster would have been lost. We do not know of any other uncut copies of this OA108 issue. Interestingly it also looks like it was used to mix the screen-printing ink on the reverse... or clean the squeegee while printing other copies...? We've never seen such a colorful back to a Hapshash poster.
Our records show very few un-restored specimens of this poster to appear at public auction in the past 10 years. In November 2018 an example in similar condition reached $3175. Another specimen was cataloged as being in similar "Excellent Condition" and realized $2625 in February of this year. This example is 100% Original with no restoration whatsoever. A difficult to find early Hapshash issue from the historic Osiris series!
Poster – Hapshash Crazy World of Arthur Brown
Grade – PAE Excellent 77
Bands/Bill – Crazy World of Arthur Brown
City – London England
Date – 1967
Dimensions – 19 61/64" x 29 62/64"
Printing – OP-1 Original First Printing
Printer - OA108 Osiris Visions Ltd.
Artist - Michael English and Nigel Waymouth
Condition Details – 100% Original with no restoration. Evidence of moisture top left two sets of pinholes 1/10" tear on top right edge 1/2" tear bottom center small creases in bottom right & top left corner light handling toning. View the detailed high res photo of this lot. Click on the thumbnail photo to see an enlarged photo. Click a second time on the magnifying glass in the upper right corner of the enlarged photo. A super high res image with every millimeter will now be clearly displayed. For a personalized eyewitness examination call 410-464-6180 11:00 am to 6:00pm eastern.
*****This poster is available for inspection at our gallery by appointment. *****
*A 20% Buyers Premium will be added to the final hammer price of this lot.*
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