Tuesday 14 February 2012

Giles Cooper appointed CEO of The Stuart Sutcliffe Estate

Managing Director of Media Junction, Giles Cooper, has been appointed CEO of the Estate of Stuart Sutcliffe, the legendary 'fifth member' of The Beatles... 


Stuart Sutcliffe pictured above (centre, foreground) with John Lennon (right) and George Harrison (left) in Hamburg 1961 (photograph by Astrid Kirchherr) 

Stuart Sutcliffe was a founder member of The Beatles. He was John Lennon's best friend and 'role model' from Liverpool Art College and was the band’s original bass player. He proved an enormous influence on the young Beatles; teaching them how to channel their abundant creativity during their impressionable, early years. Stuart thought of the name for the band and played an integral role in guiding The Beatles' early direction, image, style and ambition and despite his death in 1962, remained a major artistic influence to John Lennon throughout his entire career.

Although acutely aware of the imminent, enormous success destined for The Beatles, Stuart decided to leave the band in 1961, preferring to pursue his bigger passion for fine art and his love for his new-found girlfriend, Astrid. "He chose art and love over being in the greatest rock and roll band of all time" Klaus Voormann.

Stuart died of a brain haemorrhage in Hamburg in 1962, but his paintings are world renowned and many say the work of genius.

"Stuart was more than just a bass player – he was like our Creative Director": George Harrison

"I looked up to Stu. I depended on him to tell me the truth. Stu would tell me if something was good, and I’d believe him": John Lennon

"I felt I knew Stuart because hardly a day went by that John did not speak about him": Yoko Ono

"He was a major attraction because of the James Dean thing; the dark, moody thing...a lot of people liked that": Sir Paul McCartney

"Stuart Sutcliffe's work really is as good as the very best of 2nd generation Abstract Expressionists....I would say that what you have with Stuart was an artist who actually made contact with his primary, primal instincts; it is visceral, channelled raw emotion and raw expression....body and mind together....fascinating and incredible": Professor Donald Kuspit 


One of the USA's most prominent Art Critics, Prof. Kuspit is a 'Distinguished Professor of Art History & Philosophy' at the State University of New York, and a 'Professor of Art History' at The School of Visual Arts, New York. In 1983, he won the highly acclaimed Frank Jewett Mather Award for Distinction in Art Criticism.

The Stuart Sutcliffe Estate is estimated to be worth in excess of £5 Million and contains dozens of Stuart's original paintings with an array of memorabilia from The Beatles early days in Hamburg.

Giles Cooper commented, "It's a tremendous privilege to be appointed CEO of the Stuart Sutcliffe Estate. Stuart was an incredibly talented man and despite dying at the very early age of 21, his influence has radiated the world-over for almost 50 years. I would like to thank both Stuart's sister, Pauline Sutcliffe, and Diane Vitale for the trust they have placed in me and I look forward with excitement to promoting Stuart's name and work over the coming years." 



Giles Cooper and Pauline Sutcliffe Long Island, New York, Feb 2012. 




Media Junction - the arts & entertainment group

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