Avant-Garde

  Lately I've been thinking a lot about art. What exactly is art? I've found that everybody likes some form of art, even if they don't notice. One of the main forms of art all of us know is visual art, such as paintings, drawings, or sculptures. When we think "art museum," these pieces immediately come to mind. Music is also an art form, and from my experience, I've never heard anyone say "I don't like music." Therefore, all of us have something in common, which is the common interest in experimental sound known as music.
  Being an avid arts fan myself, I'd have to say my two main focuses are in fact visuals and music. As much as I like interpretive experimental art (like much of Yoko Ono's works, read my post on her protests and art with John Lennon here), I don't tend to focus on it as heavily as I do with drawings and music.
  A few of my favorite visual artists include Andy Warhol, Klaus Voormann, and Stuart Sutcliffe (who my popular music teacher oddly looks like). As most of you know, my favorite musicians would have to be The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Kinks, and The Runaways.
  There are, however, quite a few musicians in the experimental world that I like as well. Experimental music is music made not to impress others and result in a profit, but rather to, well, experiment with sound and emotion in order to create a truly unique piece. Unfortunately today, there are few experimental musicians left. But back in the day, mainly the late 60's and early 70's, experimentalists like Frank Zappa, the GTO's, (if you wanna learn about the GTO's, click here for my post on them) and The Velvet Underground. Back in his early days, Andy Warhol was considered an avant-garde artist, before he rose to fame. Even though he is a household name in modern times, in the mid-1960's, he was known for his almost risky and experimental works of art.

Klaus Voormann in 1966 holding one of his most famous works of art, the cover to the Beatles' 1966 album, Revolver (Source unknown)

Chess Set

Designed for Ringo Starr in 1972

Klaus designed this chess set for Ringo Starr, using all different types of hands for the various figures.  There are only five of these original sets in existence.  They were cast in sterling silver with one side gold plated.  Notice the rings on the bishop, king, and queen.

(Source)

Klaus donated the car to the Biodiversity Project: Ancient Trees and Endangered Beetles. This project is a collaboration between Christina and Klaus Voormann, Volkswagen AG, State Ministry for Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection and Center of Environment/Wiesenfelden Castle. The car will be auctioned or sold to the best offer.
More than 8,000 people visited the 6-day event. Plans are being made to continue this successful exhibition in other countries.

(Source for all Klaus Voormann car images)

Plastic Ono Band, 1969, Toronto Music Festival,
L-R: Klaus Voormann, Alan White, Yoko Ono, John Lennon, Eric Clapton

Hamburg Series #13 by Stuart Sutcliffe
Mixed media, collage with ink and oil on buff paper
24/26 x 34 in. image / 32 x 40 in. overall mounted
Circa 1961-62; (Source)

Stuart Sutcliffe c. 1960-61, Source Unknown

When I visited the Liverpool Museum of Art this October I was fortunate enough to see an actual work of art by Stuart Sutcliffe in person.

My new Fender Squier Strat, hopefully I can make my own avant-garde music!

If you're interested in seeing more of Klaus Voormann's works, click here
If you're interested in seeing more of Stuart Sutcliffe's works, click here

Avant-Garde Delight from itsamodmodworld on 8tracks Radio.

1. "Sunday Morning" by The Velvet Underground
2. "Muffin Man" by Frank Zappa
3. "The Captain's Fat Theresa Shoes" by The GTO's
4. "Technicolour Dreams" by Status Quo
5. "Beck's Bolero" by Jeff Beck (and friends)
6. "I'm in Love With the Ooo-Ooo Man" by The GTO's
7. "Give Peace a Chance" by The Plastic Ono Band
8. "Heroin" by The Velvet Underground
9. "The Nitty Gritty" by Manfred Mann (ft. Klaus Voormann)
10. "Jamiroquai" by Canned Heat

Who I Am

  I realized yesterday that you guys probably know nothing about me. This is kind of sad, considering I've given you all this information about the music and fashion I love, and yet nothing about the actual me. My name is Sam and I'm fourteen years young, I live on the East coast of the U.S. and am one of the only people I know that is as obsessed with the sixties and seventies like I am. My room is completely decked out in music, books, and posters, as well as other personal belongings that represent the decade. Why don't you have a look yourself?

My bookshelf. I recently emptied it out to fit more personal belongings. The big John Lennon book on the top shelf was originally $30, but my dad snagged it at a sale for only $5. The Beatles over-sized shot glasses on the second shelf were a gift for Christmas, and the Who plate is something I painted at a local pottery place. The shoes on the third shelf are all thrifted with the exception of the saddle shoes, which I purchased at Payless.

Some of my favorite books. They read, from L to R: Clapton by Eric Clapton, The Green Mile by Stephen King, A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, The Beatles 1967-70, Working Class Mystic (About George Harrison) by Gary Tillery, According to the Rolling Stones (by the Stones themselves), Miss O'Dell (A GREAT read, I highly recommend it) by Chris O'Dell, Who I Am (autographed too!) by Pete Townshend, and Wonderful Tonight by Pattie Boyd. The movies read, also from L to R: The Quarrymen, Heathers, A Hard Day's Night, The Monkees Season 2.

The large "Treasures of the Beatles" sign in the center is actually the cover sleeve of a book. Next to that is my Beatles lunchbox, a Bob Dylan poster, and an Abbey Road poster.

My wall of mini posters! Here they all are, from top to bottom, L to R: Jefferson Airplane, the Beatles, Pattie Boyd, the Rolling Stones (Their Satanic Majesties Request), Pete Townshend smashing a guitar, Led Zeppelin, Keith Moon, Pattie Boyd and the Rolling Stones, John and Yoko's 'War is Over' sign, two photographs of my dad and I, a postcard from California, a brochure for the play 'Million Dollar Quartet,' The Beatles, George Harrison, Klaus Voormann, (Below that are the Beatles and the Beatles' Apple logo), The Beatles, two Clockwork Orange posters, A George Harrison card my friend made me, more Beatles, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, MORE Beatles, a brochure for Lez Zeppelin, a great Led Zeppelin cover band, The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd, And Beatles, Beatles, Beatles.

The sleeve to Revolver (hung on a coat hanger that I bent myself to make a rack!). Unfortunately I received this from my dad's friend and there was no album inside! I decided to make the best of a bad situation and hang the empty sleeve for decoration.

My mod jacket! The patches are for the Who, The Beatles, and Pink Floyd, and the pins are for the Beatles, Sgt. Pepper, and George Harrison.

My concert tickets (so far!). From top to bottom, L to R: A ticket from the train from London to Liverpool, Ringo Starr and his All-Starr band, two Rolling Stones tickets, Hilary Duff (don't laugh, I was seven!), Who I am interview with Pete Townshend, Ray Manzarek and Robby Kreiger of the Doors, Rain: A tribute to the Beatles, and Lez Zeppelin. Unfortunately by Glimmer Twins, Beatlehjuice, and Who tickets aren't on there! I need a bigger board!

My beloved guitar in front of my Yellow Submarine poster. This guitar is actually over thirty years old; it's my uncles and he gave it to me a few months ago to keep. The strings are original from when it was first purchased, and the guitar was so out of tune when I first received it that I could lift them up about a foot off of the guitar! Luckily, none of the strings snapped when I tuned it and now it plays wonderfully.

A close up of my Abbey Road guitar pick and Yellow Submarine poster.

The Elvis Presley patch on the quilt my grandmother made me.

My Batman guitar my dad gave me for my birthday. It plays absolutely horribly, and the amp to the right of it is no help at all. Hopefully I'll be selling this in order to make some cash to buy a decent one!

More tickers! This is an Abbey Road black and white photograph framed with fake signatures below each Beatle (the tickets are covering them, I'm sorry). The tickets read, from L to R: Rain: A tribute to the Beatles, Lez Zeppelin (I think? Either that or Beatlejuice), and my movie ticket to Moonrise Kingdom. On the left is a postcard I won at the actual Cavern Club in Liverpool! On the right is a brochure from It's Only Rock and Roll, a lovely rock and roll T-shirt store across from the Sherlock Holmes museum on Baker Street in London.

A Beatles poster I received in a book I purchased. Poor Ringo all alone in the left corner!

Another angle of my room. There's my bed, my giant Beatles poster (which is about five feet tall) and more posters, including my Yellow Submarine one (next to my bed) my Quadrophenia one (above my bed), more Beatles, a Woodstock poster, and another angle of the Bob Dylan one. Another Beatles poster is above the Woodstock one, but it's been cut off.

A James Dean poster I purchased in Cape Cod. It's laminated, I love it!

Another angle of my poster wall, showing the Dark Side of the Moon, Paul McCartney, a Ringo Starr interview, and many more.

  Well, I hope you enjoyed my room! To get to know me a little more, I've made a playlist of some of my favorite songs of all time! Hopefully you'll enjoy. :)

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things.. from itsamodmodworld on 8tracks Radio.

1. "Peace Frog" - The Doors

2. "Go All The Way" - The Raspberries

3. "Misty Mountain Hop" - Led Zeppelin

4. "Sexy Sadie" - The Beatles

5. "Sister Golden Hair" - America

6. "Love Grows (Where my Rosemary Goes)" - Edison Lighthouse

7. "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" - Paul McCartney (Although, the Admiral Halsey part is the only part I like)

8. "Happiness is a Warm Gun" - The Beatles

9. "Ramble On" - Led Zeppelin

10. "Twelve Thirty (Young Girls are Coming to the Canyon)" - The Mamas and the Papas

11. "Let's Spend the Night Together" - The Rolling Stones

12. "Pictures of Lily" - The Who