Coldplay is selling its album art to raise money for disadvantaged children. The rock band has an exhibition opening in London that coincides with its run of five sell-out concerts at Wembley.The works will be on show in Camden at an event organized by Album Artists, which makes art for musicians and has worked with Coldplay on three albums: “Mylo Xyloto” (2011), “Ghost Stories” (2014), and “A Head Full of Dreams” (2015). Art associated with the albums has already raised more than £1 million (about $1.4 million) for charity, with the most recent album, commonly referred to as “AHFOD,” raising £45,000 before the event has even started. Within two weeks of the news appearing on social media, Album Art had sold 10 lyrics, handwritten or drawn by singer CHRIS MARTIN, for £4,500 each. These will be on show, in addition to works by Argentinian artist Pilar Zeta, who produced the original collage and “Flower of Life” which became the final cover of the album.There are also numerous unseen pieces from the artwork’s development and a series of Zeta’s personal works which inspired the band to commission her.The biggest item is her collage, 3.5 meters long, on offer at £120,000 plus VAT (value added tax). The collage was specially created in a London studio and incorporates many images from Zeta’s childhood, as well as photographs that she scanned from found postcards and vintage books. The surreal juxtaposition of images such as planets and cherubs was also used on the cover of the single “Adventure of a Lifetime.” The same surrealism influenced the video for “Up&Up.”While “AHFOD,” the seventh and most recent studio album by Coldplay, received mixed reviews following its December 2015 release, it had still achieved sales of nearly 2 million worldwide by the end of that year alone. The album followed its predecessors to the number 1 slot in the British chart after being held off initially by Adele’s album “25.”Other prices of art for sale start at £25 plus VAT for an unlimited edition print. For fans with more cash, £1,500 plus VAT secures an 80 x 80 cm work, signed by each member of Coldplay and Zeta — one of a limited edition of 50 images.Coldplay is using the funds to set up a space to help disadvantaged youngsters through its charity J Van Mars. Zeta is also donating proceeds to the same causes.For the earlier “Mylo Xyloto” album, released in October 2011, Album Artists sold the cover — a 16-meter long multicolor painting by the band and graffiti artist Paris — for £500,000, as well as other prints and posters. The graffiti wall was overlaid with the title “MYL-OXYL-OTO” on the final cover. The group also set up a page allowing people to superimpose their own initials on the work.According to Fraser Scott, director of A Gallery and Album Artists, for Coldplay's “Ghost Stories” (released May 2014), Album Artists worked with British-based Czech artist Mila Furstova, and sold out the original etchings signed by the band and preliminary drawings at a show opened by Coldplay. The album art was again surreal, with the main cover featuring angel wings against a night sky. Other interchangeable components on the wings included lovers, white doves and candles.Coldplay and Pilar Zeta’s “A Head Full of Dreams” exhibition is open from June 15-19 at 205 Royal College Street, Camden, London, NW1 0SG.
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