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 Damien Hirst’s portrait of Joe Strummer
Pop art: Damien Hirst’s portrait of Joe Strummer has a £50,000 upper estimate in Youth Music’s charity auction

Stars trash their images... all for a good cause

Louise Jury, Chief Arts Correspondent
9 Nov 2009


Musicians from Paul McCartney to classical pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy have "destroyed" their own image to raise funds for the UK's largest children's music charity.

U2, Alanis Morissette, Kylie Minogue, Jamelia, Michael Stipe and Sharleen Spiteri were among 70 artists photographed by Rankin then given the portrait to create a new work from it.

The photographer also asked Damien Hirst to take part and he produced a portrait of his old friend Joe Strummer, of The Clash.

Most of the musicians simply drew or painted over the photograph, although Debbie Harry drove her car over hers. Jarvis Cocker added his private parts (they are only visible in ultra-violet light).

The works in the project, called Destroy/Rankin, will be auctioned for Youth Music, which is celebrating its 10th birthday and hopes to make more than £100,000 from the sale.

The works go on show at auction house Phillips de Pury in Howick Place, Westminster, today. Most will be available in online bidding, with estimates from £500, from Wednesday until 21 November. But 25 will be sold at a live auction on Saturday including Blondie singer Harry's - with an estimate of £2,400 to £2,800 - and Kylie's, from £600 to £800. The Hirst has the highest estimate at £40,000 to £50,000.

Rankin said the idea came when he thought about how photographs are manipulated.

"Destroy is about giving the power back to the people I photographed by inviting them to use my image as a canvas for their own interpretations, and create a more personal, amusing or honest piece of art."

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