Items Similar to Jesus Christ Superstar poster David Byrd 1971
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 5
David ByrdJesus Christ Superstar poster David Byrd 1971 1971
1971
About the Item
Vintage original David Byrd illustrated Jesus Christ Superstar poster, 1971:
An original promotional poster for the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical produced by Robert Stigwood. The work is based on Catholic religious store Jesus-as-a-W.A.S.P. imagery with a stained glass border using Celtic motifs. The interlocking angels at the bottom were used as the poster for the show as well as the album cover, in gold on dark maroon. 1st printing, 1971. Considered scarce.
Dimensions: 16 x 30 inches
Very good overall vintage condition
Unsigned from a scarce edition of unknown
Makes for fantastic wall art
David Byrd was born in Springfield, Illinois, in 1926. His father, who suffered from mental illness, left the family when David was a young child. When David was twelve, his mother was forced by economic hardship to abandon him and his five siblings to foster homes. During the next four years, the children lived in three foster homes. A number of David’s paintings document this period of upheaval in his life.
In 1942, David’s mother gathered her children back to her. Working as a ticket seller at a movie theater in Brooklyn, New York, she could barely support them. David had shown artistic ability from an early age, but she was forever worried about money and pressured him to find suitable employment rather than pursue his artistic side.
At seventeen, he joined the Merchant Marines and traveled through Europe, the Mediterranean and Asia before being drafted into the U.S. Army as an artillerist. During this time—World War II—he filled sketchbooks with maritime-themed drawings, and portraits of his fellow sailors and officers.
After the war he studied briefly, through the G. I. Bill, at the Dauphin School of Art in Philadelphia. He continued his studies for two years at the Ozenfant School of Fine Arts on the Lower East Side in New York City. (Amédée Ozenfant was a Parisian painter, influenced by Paul Signac and Le Corbusier, and immigrated to the U.S. in 1938.) Though David did not become a disciple of Ozenfant, one can sense his formality in both composition and sophisticated color relationships. Ozenfant was the most influential mentor in his life.
Throughout the 1950s, David lived in various parts of New York State working odd jobs, mostly low-status positions that allowed him time to paint. He was a deliveryman, janitor, liquor store clerk, movie house usher and, on Coney Island, bartender at a resort. Many of his genre-scene paintings came from this period of listlessness.
In 1958, David took a job as an orderly in the psychiatric ward at the Veterans Administration Medical Hospital in Montrose, New York. For the next 30 years, he worked with doctors and nurses in care of patients whose damage resulted from World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. This experience provided him with his defining body of paintings, which related to the patients and their individual behaviors, general routines and distinct personalities. He also painted scenes from his daily commute—views of bridges, waterways, mountains and the regional landmarks of filling stations, cafes and shopping centers.
In 1967, David married Shirley Silverman, a nurse at the V.A. They had a tumultuous relationship that ended in divorce ten years later.
In 1988, at age 62, David retired from the hospital. He purchased 11 acres in Sidney Center, New York, a small hamlet in the Catskills. For four years, he lived in a hunter’s shack while building the stone foundation for his home. An avid scavenger, he salvaged many of his home’s architectural details from abandoned structures. He was also an active bottle collector, attending auctions and shows during this time.
By 1994, with his house more or less complete, David devoted himself full time to painting—largely from memory—the people, places and situations from his past. He also began a series of wood sculptures, some combining found objects, some composed of large wood blocks carved into life-size figures.
Although David was prolific, he never exhibited his work and rarely showed it to anyone. His light filled home in Sidney Center contained almost every work of art he ever created. David had great difficulty forming lasting relationships. Late in life he became reclusive and lived a largely invisible life.
A chance meeting with a neighbor in the fall of 2012 led to David’s first professional exhibition seven months later. He was 87 years old. David Byrd – Introduction: A Life of Observation at the Greg Kucera Gallery in Seattle, Washington, featured 85 paintings, three sculptures and numerous drawings. By the end of the exhibition most of the work had sold. Finally David received the recognition that had eluded him all his life.
Just days before the Seattle show opened, David was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. Despite failing health, he was able to take his first airplane ride and attend the opening. His gallery talk was one of the best attended in Kucera’s history.
Related Categories
Musicals. Broadway show posters. Andrew Lloyd Webber. Jesus Christ. Religion. Biblical. Mythology. Vintage movie posters.
- Creator:David Byrd (1926-2013, American)
- Creation Year:1971
- Dimensions:Height: 30 in (76.2 cm)Width: 16 in (40.64 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:NEW YORK, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU354310505472
About the Seller
5.0
Vetted Seller
These experienced sellers undergo a comprehensive evaluation by our team of in-house experts.
Established in 2014
1stDibs seller since 2016
4,260 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: <1 hour
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: New York, NY
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
More From This SellerView All
- Milton Glaser Stevie Wonder poster 1968 (Milton Glaser posters)By Milton GlaserLocated in NEW YORK, NYMilton Glaser Poster for Stevie Wonder at New York's Philharmonic Hall, 1968: Vintage original 1968 Milton Glaser Stevie Wonder concert poster designed by the legendary designer for...Category
1960s Pop Art Portrait Prints
MaterialsLithograph, Offset
- Love Me by Curtis Kulig (hand signed Curtis Kulig Love Me screen print)By Curtis KuligLocated in NEW YORK, NY"Love Me," Purple Smiley Face screen print by New York based artist Curtis Kulig: Using a most universal symbol, 'The Smiley', Curtis Kulig replaces the ey...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Prints
MaterialsScreen
- Saul Steinberg lithographic cover c.1970 (derriere le miroir)By Saul SteinbergLocated in NEW YORK, NYSaul Steinberg Derrière le Miroir: A lithographic cover published c. 1970. Well suited for framing. A fantastic vintage Saul Steinberg collectible within reach. Lithograph in color...Category
1970s Pop Art Abstract Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- Saul Steinberg Lithograph c.1970 (from Derrière le miroir)By Saul SteinbergLocated in NEW YORK, NYSaul Steinberg Lithograph from Derrière le Miroir: Lithograph in colors c.1970. 11 x 15 inches. Very good overall vintage condition with vivid colors. Unsigned from an edition of u...Category
1970s Pop Art Prints and Multiples
MaterialsLithograph
- Keith Haring 1990 Memorial announcement (Keith Haring prints posters)By (after) Keith HaringLocated in NEW YORK, NYKeith Haring Memorial 1990: Original announcement to Keith Haring’s memorial exhibition, ‘Keith Haring Early Works on Paper,’ at Tony Shafrazi Gallery, 1990. The exhibition was held from May 4th to June 2nd, 1990. Printed on heavy stock textured paper; measures 7.25 x 7.25 inches. Very good condition. A classic, vintage Keith Haring collectible. Keith Haring was an American artist and social activist known for his illustrative depictions of figures and symbols. His white chalk drawings could often been found on the blank poster marquees in New York’s public spaces and subways. “I don't think art is propaganda,” he once stated. “It should be something that liberates the soul, provokes the imagination and encourages people to go further. It celebrates humanity instead of manipulating it.” Born on May 4, 1958 in Reading, PA, he grew up in neighboring Kutztown, where he was inspired to draw from an early age by Walt Disney cartoons and his father who was an amateur cartoonist. After briefly studying commercial art in Pittsburgh, Haring came across a show of the works of Pierre Alechinksy and decided to pursue a career in fine art instead. He moved to New York in the late 1970s to attend the School of Visual Arts, and soon immersed himself in the city’s graffiti culture. By the mid-1980s, he had befriended fellow artists Andy Warhol, Kenny Scharf, and Jean-Michel Basquiat, and collaborated with celebrities like the singer Grace Jones. Diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in 1988, Haring’s prodigious career was brief, and he died of AIDS-related complications on February 16, 1990 at the age of 31. Before his death, Haring established the Keith Haring Foundation, a non-profit committed to raising awareness of the illness through art programing and community outreach. Throughout his career, Haring made his art widely available through the location of his murals, as well as through the Pop Shop—Haring's own storefront which he used to sell his memorabilia.The artist’s mural Crack is Wack (1986), can still be seen today on a retaining wall along FDR Drive in Manhattan. Haring’s works can be found in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. Related Categories: Keith Haring snakes. Keith Haring posters. Keith Haring and Tony Shafrazi. Keith Haring pyramid...Category
1980s Pop Art Figurative Prints
MaterialsOffset, Lithograph
- Mudd Club New York 1979 street poster (Haring Basquiat related)By Fernando NataliciLocated in NEW YORK, NYOriginal Mudd Club poster, New York 1979: A must have for any true Jean Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring collector - this piece is featured in the 2017 Jean-Michel Basquiat documentary, 'Boom For Real.' Promotional poster. 1979. Dimensions: 18x24 inches. Very good overall vintage condition condition; some minor fading consistent with age. Provenance: Obtained directly from the original art designer. The Mudd Club was founded by filmmaker Steve Mass, art curator Diego Cortez, and downtown punk scene figure Anya Phillips in 1978. Mudd Club featured an art gallery curated by Keith Haring on the upper floor. Live performances by New York No Wave bands such as, DNA, the Contortions, Talking Heads & Basquiat's band Gray. On the dance floor, DJs, Anita Sarko and Johnny Dynell played an eclectic mix of punk, funk and curiosities. From the start it functioned as an antidote to the uptown disco glitz of Studio 54. Six months after it opened, the Mudd Club was mentioned in People: "New York's fly-by-night crowd of punks, posers and the ultra-hip has discovered new turf on which to flaunt its manic chic. It is the Mudd Club ... . For sheer kinkiness, there has been nothing like it since the cabaret scene in 1920s Berlin". After its first few years, Studio 54 celebrities like Andy Warhol, Grace Jones and David Bowie began to show up. In 1981, the Mudd Club's Steve Mass began showing up at the more informal Club 57 on St. Mark's Place, and began hiring Club 57 regulars including Keith Haring to help attract the downtown art & music scene. The Mudd Club was frequented by many of Manhattan's emerging emerging cultural figures, such as, Lou Reed, Johnny Thunders, David Byrne, Debbie Harry, Arto Lindsay, John Lurie, Nico with Jim Tisdall, Lydia Lunch, X, the Cramps...Category
1970s Pop Art Prints and Multiples
MaterialsScreen, Lithograph
You May Also Like
- FRENCH ZERO'S GIRLFRIEND Signed Lithograph Woman in Green Hat Turquoise Red PinkBy Peter MaxLocated in Union City, NJFRENCH ZERO'S GIRLFRIEND is an original hand drawn limited edition lithograph by the pop culture icon, Peter Max, printed in an edition of 150, using traditional hand lithography techniques on archival Arches paper, 100% acid free. FRENCH ZERO'S GIRLFRIEND is an expressive female Pop Art...Category
1990s Pop Art Portrait Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- FLOWER SPECTRUM II Signed Lithograph, Woman Profile Portrait Pink, Green, YellowBy Peter MaxLocated in Union City, NJFLOWER SPECTRUM II is an original hand drawn lithograph by the American Pop artist Peter Max printed in an edition of 150, using traditional hand lithography techniques on archival paper. FLOWER SPECTRUM II is a graceful female profile portrait head depicting a feminine goddess woman crowned in leaves and flowers, printed in deep raspberry rose...Category
1990s Pop Art Portrait Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- THE GARDENBy Peter MaxLocated in Aventura, FLHand signed, dated and inscribed "Study" by the artist. Hand embellished by the artist. A unique variation. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of Authenticity included....Category
1980s Pop Art Figurative Prints
MaterialsLithograph, Paper
- Fats DominoBy Red GroomsLocated in New York, NYRed Grooms’ “Ruckus Manhattan” in the mid-1970s humorously transformed Grand Central Terminal into a 3-D caricature of New York City. “I wanted to do a novelistic portrait of Manhattan from Battery Park to Grant’s tomb,” Grooms explained. The comic-book inspired interactive installation included iconic landmarks—the subway, Central Park, the Apollo Theater...Category
1980s Pop Art Figurative Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- Rolling Stone poster, hand signed by Andy Warhol and Bella Abzug LGBTQ pioneerBy Andy WarholLocated in New York, NYAndy Warhol BELLA poster, hand signed by both Andy Warhol and Bella Abzug and inscribed, ca. 1977 Offset Color Lithograph Poster. Hand Signed by Abzug and Warhol & uniquely inscribed...Category
1970s Pop Art Portrait Prints
MaterialsPermanent Marker, Lithograph, Offset
- Queen of Clubs, Playing Card by Larry RiversBy Larry RiversLocated in Long Island City, NYArtist: Larry Rivers, American (1923 - 2002) Title: Queen of Clubs Year: 1979 Medium: Lithograph and Silkscreen, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: ...Category
1970s Pop Art Portrait Prints
MaterialsScreen, Lithograph
Recently Viewed
View AllMore Ways To Browse
Large Exhibition Poster
Large Art Exhibition Poster
Large Poster 1970
Le Corbusier Poster
Le Corbusier Posters
Vintage Architecture Posters
Vintage Posters For Children
Vintage Islands Poster
Vintage Shop Poster
The Vintage Poster Shop
Old Time Vintage Posters
Vintage 1971 Glass
Jesus Christ
Retro Art Exhibit Posters
Retro Childrens Posters
Old School Posters
Theater Posters
Wood Christ