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Stuart, Hamburg 1960-61 (courtesy of the SS Estate)

Stuart, Hamburg 1960-61 (courtesy of the SS Estate)

Stuart, Hamburg 1960-61 (courtesy of the SS Estate)

Stuart, Hamburg 1960-61 (courtesy of the SS Estate)

Stuart, Hamburg 1960-61 (courtesy of the SS Estate)

Stuart, Hamburg 1960-61 (courtesy of the SS Estate)

Stuart, Hamburg 1960-61 (courtesy of the SS Estate)

Stuart, Hamburg 1960-61 (courtesy of the SS Estate)

Stuart & Astrid in photo-booth (courtesy of the SS Estate)

Stuart & Astrid in photo-booth (courtesy of the SS Estate)

Klaus, Astrid & Stuart at Art College Festival, Hamburg 1961 (courtesy of the SS Estate)

Klaus, Astrid & Stuart at Art College Festival, Hamburg 1961 (courtesy of the SS Estate)

Stuart, John & George, Hamburg 1960-61 (courtesy of the SS Estate)

Stuart, John & George, Hamburg 1960-61 (courtesy of the SS Estate)

Stuart & John on Stage in Hamburg, 1960-61 (courtesy of the SS Estate)

Stuart & John on Stage in Hamburg, 1960-61 (courtesy of the SS Estate)

Stuart & John at Indra Club, Hamburg, 1960 (courtesy of the SS Estate)

Stuart & John at Indra Club, Hamburg, 1960 (courtesy of the SS Estate)

Beatles on stage (Stuart far right) at the Indra Club, Beatles first gig in Hamburg 1960 (courtesy of the SS Estate)

Beatles on stage (Stuart far right) at the Indra Club, Beatles first gig in Hamburg 1960 (courtesy of the SS Estate)

Beatles at the Indra Club, Hamburg 1960, Stuart Sutcliffe and John Lennon on left (courtesy of the SS Estate)

Beatles at the Indra Club, Hamburg 1960, Stuart Sutcliffe and John Lennon on left (courtesy of the SS Estate)

23.06.1940 – 10.04.1962

On 10th April 2012 it will be 50 years since Stuart Sutcliffe, artist and founder member of the Beatles, died at the age of 21. On that date the exhibition In Conversation with Stuart Sutcliffe will open with CCA&A Gallery at the Institute of Design, Hamburg, the first of a series of international venues that includes Liverpool and London. The exhibition consists of established and emerging artists who have been invited to produce work as part of a ‘conversation’ with Sutcliffe, each responding in very different ways to aspects of his life and work. This range of previously unseen works will be exhibited alongside Sutcliffe’s original paintings and memorabilia.

The show has been conceived as a tribute to Sutcliffe and an exploration of his status as a British icon. By re-imagining the era in which he lived and re-visiting the cities that shaped him – Hamburg and Liverpool – before touring to Somerset House, London – we may gain new insights into the life choices he made and the success he may have enjoyed.

It is intended that this exhibition encourages us to consider a lost talent, to take us through Sutcliffe’s short life and offer us chances to respond to his influences whilst reflecting upon the wider notion of personal potential. Sutcliffe’s legacy is a collection of paintings that have been exhibited internationally, so whilst his story has become part of Beatles’ folklore and his photographs depict a rock and roll icon in leather jacket and dark glasses, it is acknowledged that his artwork remains relevant to this day.

In Conversation with Stuart Sutcliffe pays tribute to Stuart as an artist in his own right. It takes his journey from Liverpool to Hamburg in reverse; opening on the anniversary of his death in Hamburg and closing in Liverpool on what would have been his birthday, 23rd June in a romantic attempt to bring Stuart back to life for the 21st century.