Rock Shrine No. 43 – Central St. Martins School Of Art and Design [Joe Strummer]
-
Artist:
-
Album:
-
Track:
Joe Strummer - or John Mellor as he was then known - began studying at Central in Sept 1970, one of over 400 applicants for the 60 available places. He wanted to be a cartoonist, though he told people he wanted to be in advertising.
Joe later described the school as the "last resort of malingerers and bluffers and people who don't want to work," but it has long been one of the most prestigious art schools in Britain. Graduates include a very long list of famous artists, actors, film makers and designers; musicians who went there include PJ Harvey, Jarvis Cocker, M.I.A., Vivian Stanshall and Neil Innes from The Bonzo Dog Band, Sex Pistol Glen Matlock and fellow Clash member Paul Simenon.
It was where Malcolm McLaren and Bernard Rhodes went when they needed talented people to help when dreaming up The Sex Pistols. One of these was Alex McDowell, who did all the silk screening of McLaren's t-shirts and posters. He later designed album covers then co-founded The Oil Factory to make music videos. Moving to Los Angeles, he is now a production designer whose credits include Fight Club, Minority Report, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Terminal, and Watchmen.
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design
Southampton Row, London WC1B 4AP
The way it looks on Google Maps
More Rock Shrines:
Rock Shrines 1 - 12
Rock Shrines 13 - 20
Rock Shrines 21-30
Rock Shrines 31-40
Comments (11)
Hey Jonh, this is very interesting stuff. I went back over the previous 1-40 and it's great reading. I recall being at the library in London a couple years back where the Magna Carta is kept, but what stole my imagination was a Beatles exhibit including a cocktail napkin from a hotel in Berlin? which had the lyrics to "Ticket to Ride" scribbled on it. Your extremely well-researched and detailed writing evokes many of those same warm memories. Thank you very much!
Thanks!
What an esteemed locale - and, no doubt, slacker heaven for the student body...
I'm working in Holborn next week - I'll have to have a wander round there - thanks for the tip.
I'd always assumed there was only one St Martins - on Charing Cross Road (site of the Pistols first gig)...
Love this one, Jonh. Just yesterday I was reading an article in a magazine about the notorious and fearsome Louise Wilson, it was very interesting.
Mike - They carry their snobbishness well.
Mondo - Because it's an amalgamation of St. Martins and Central schools, there are campuses up and down Charing Cross Rd.
Anna - She could be forgiven for having an ego the size of Britain. Something like 90% of all top British fashion designers have passed through her classes.
Thanks for your post. You always have interesting tidbits of information to share.
Thorn - The important stuff I forget. The interesting trivia stays with me forever.
Ohh louise wilson. How I see her passing quickly down the hallways in a giant black cape.
I graduated from there and we had a huge party / celebration for the anniverisery of the Sex Pistols gig. Great party!
Lol! Not many schools can pull an anniversary of that magnitude.
Cool post. I always love reading these