The Zacron (1943 - 2012) Sale

Artist’s Estate sale of Led Zeppelin’s iconic album cover artist. To be sold without reserve.

12/12/2024

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The artist known as Zacron was born Richard Drew in Sutton in 1943. Zacron’s artistic career was intrinsically connected to music and during his artistic training he met first Eric Clapton at Reynolds High School, Acton, and then Jimmy Page whilst at Kingston College of Art: Zacron recalled how they became fast friends: “Jimmy visited my studio, and in his home, we discussed art and music. We decorated our guitars with experimental materials and designs, I made liquid projections using hot oils and strobes linked to the music of Jimi Hendrix.”

^{Lot 1, Estimate £300 - £500}

Zacron embraced the zeitgeist of swinging 1960s London and his art was conceptual as well as visual, with spontaneous happenings, bold costume and psychedelia to the fore, his superb command across a range of visual media extended to performance art (he famously drew the portraits of the cast of the 1970's West End production of 'Oliver' in situ) and of course music. Much of the work in this studio collection is highly evocative of that period.

After winning a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Arts Schools, Zacron studied drawing from January 1965 to June 1967. During this period Zacron produced many original experimental works which are included in this sale. Soon after completing his artistic studies Zacron briefly became a lecturer at Leeds Collage of Art under Harry Phillips, before resigning the post to found the ‘Zacron Media Centre’ in London's West End. It was after a gig at Leeds University in 1970 that the members of Led Zeppelin met with Zacron to discuss the commission of an album cover for the their Led Zeppelin III album, with Jimmy Page championing Zacron’s work. Zacron’s response was highly original and innovative. Derived from kinetic art which he had explored during his Royal Academy studies, it had a pierced outer cover and inner volvelle - a rotating inner wheel which produced an ever-changing kaleidoscope effect; literally, a revolutionary design. The unconventional approach was also highly complex for production and disruptive, setting back the album release date by two months. It nevertheless coincided with Led Zeppelin’s zenith of fame, they were at this time considered to be the biggest band in the world, and the delay only served to fuel anticipation. Ultimately, sales in the United States alone totalled 25 million copies, making it one of the most iconic covers in rock history.

^{Lot 3, Estimate £100 - £200}

Zacron’s long artistic career was diverse; described by some as the 'new Max Ernst' he was nicknamed 'the King of Collage'. His work covered a range of genres including Fine Art, Digital Art, Abstract Art and Cartoon Art, although he often returned to muscial associations; other music projects included the highly effective pop art collage 1975 album cover for pop group Fancy, a band made up of session musicians and produced by Mike Hurst whose hits included, Wild Thing, Touch Me and Feel Good. He was also in demand as a graphic artist, producing advertising designs for Daler Rowney, Whatney paper and concepts for Mcdonalds, British Leyland (the Mini campaign) and others.

The possibilities of the computer excited him and opened up a new world of artistic expression. Typically, he innovated many new techniques and, from his studios in at Morley St Botolph, near Wymondham, Norfolk, produced a diverse range of colourful and attractive archival prints specializing in the pioneering use of Photoshop to produce amazing collages.

^{Lot 8, Estimate £100 - £150}

From an early age Zacron was fascinated by astronomy and there are prolific astronomical references throughout his works. As many of his later works show, he had a deep interest in anthropology and the origins of man and read widely on the subject. In later life his interests included the realms of the supernatural and conspiracy theories which often led to conflict and disharmony with some, but he was never one to shy away from a discussion about difficult subjects.

During a career which spanned five decades he made an analytical spiritual exploration of the visual arts, tackling a broad range of media and themes. His work has featured in exhibitions around the world, his art has been collected by legends of the music world and is included in many significant collections. This Estate sale, which demonstrates Zacron's extraordinary artistic talents, offers a unique opportunity for many to secure a little slice of history to enjoy a sentiment that Zacron would have loved and embraced.