May 2022. A huge number of silkscreen works made in 2015, several types and hundreds of sheets, were found in Jamie Reed's warehouse in Liverpool, England. One of the largest pieces was a very simple print of a queen on cardboard. There are no words "GOD SAVE THE QUEEN" or "SEX PISTOLS."
This work is a silkscreen poster "BUS QUEEN" created by London gallery Artificial in 2015 as a work of art from an advertising poster that was put on London buses when SEX PISTOLS' single "GOD SAVE THE QUEEN" was released in 1977.
The band's name and title, which were considered radical, were not specified so that the London Transport Authority would not refuse to display the posters. The design was set up by Malcolm McLaren and Jamie Reed. It is said that many of the public saw the scene and praised the London buses on which the Queen was affixed.
After its creation in 2015, Jamie refused to release Queen's work to the world, so it was never sold. As such, this piece is not signed by him.
It is stamped "SEX PISTOLS OFFICIAL" on the reverse, embossed Artificial on the front, and has an edition number by the Artificial owner at the time. Unable to obtain Jamie's consent, Artificial stored these pieces in Jamie's warehouse. They appear to have remained in the wooden box until they were found again seven years later, in May 2022.
Jamie Reed's manager thought it would be not interesting to just put out the "BUS QUEEN" prints that had been discovered... so he talked with his Japanese management company and came up with the idea, "What if we use these prints to collaborate with other artists?”. He immediately asked Jamie about it, and he said, "Sounds fun! and he readily agreed.
With an eye on the commercially successful Japanese market, we contacted Kosuke Kawamura, who is active both in Japan and abroad, about directing these works, and the project was launched.
Jamie Reed passed away while the project was in progress, but the Japanese team, led by Kawamura, established "ARCOVA JAPAN" to carry on his wishes before his death. Director Kosuke Kawamura himself collaged BUS QUEEN and will release it simultaneously worldwide on a special website as the first collaborative work of ARCOVA JAPAN.
A portion of the proceeds from the sales of the works to be presented will be donated to "Peace" at Jamie's request.
