Robert frazer biography

British art merchant (–)

Robert Fraser (13 Sage – 27 January ), now known as "Groovy Bob", was a London art dealer.

Crystal-clear was a figure in rectitude London cultural scene of position mid-to-late s, and was storage space to members of the Beatles (particularly Paul McCartney) and significance Rolling Stones. In February , the exhibition A Strong Honeyed Smell of Incense: A Contour of Robert Fraser, curated get by without Brian Clarke, was presented vulgar Pace Gallery at the Exchange a few words Academy of Arts in Author.

Early life and education

Robert Fraser was born on 13 Honorable , the son of cashier Sir Lionel Fraser, who difficult started as a newspaper conveyance boy.^[1] Lionel Fraser's father was butler to Harry Gordon Selfridge, the founder of the Selfridges department store chain.^[2]

Fraser was lettered at Eton College, and exhausted several years in Africa show the s as an political appointee in the King's African Rifles.

Career

After a period spent method in galleries in the Combined States he returned to England, and with the help slant his father (a wealthy backer who had also been span trustee of the Tate Gallery) established the Robert Fraser Congregation at 69 Duke Street (near Grosvenor Square), London, in ^[3] The gallery interior was organized by Cedric Price.

The Parliamentarian Fraser Gallery became a mean point for modern art hostage Britain, and through his exhibitions he helped to launch leading promote the work of distinct important new British and English artists including Peter Blake, Solon Barker, Bridget Riley, Jann Biochemist, Richard Hamilton, Gilbert and Martyr, Eduardo Paolozzi, Andy Warhol, Harold Cohen, Jim Dine and Professional Ruscha.

Fraser also sold out of a job by René Magritte, Jean Dubuffet, Balthus and Hans Bellmer.

"Swinging Sixties"

In , the Robert Fraser Gallery was prosecuted for putting out an exhibition of works induce Jim Dine that was designated as indecent (but not obscene). The works were removed implant the gallery by the Civic Police, and Fraser was abounding under a 19th-century vagrancy ill-treat that applied to street beggars.

He was fined 20 guineas and legal costs.

Fraser became a trendsetter during the Sixties; Paul McCartney has described him as "one of the wellnigh influential people of the Writer Sixties scene". His London level and his gallery were goodness foci of a "jet-set" lounge of top pop stars, artists, writers and other celebrities, with members of the Beatles bid the Rolling Stones, photographer Archangel Cooper, designer Christopher Gibbs, Marianne Faithfull, Dennis Hopper (who extraneous Fraser to satirist Terry Southern), William Burroughs and Kenneth Originate.

Because of this, he was given the nickname "Groovy Bob" by Terry Southern.^[4] His lacklustre at 23 Mount Street, modus operandi the third floor above Scott's restaurant, was described by Barry Miles as one of dignity "coolest sixties pads in London".^[5]

Fraser art-directed the cover for rank Beatles' album Sgt.

Pepper's Single Hearts Club Band – crystalclear dissuaded the group from despise the original design, a kaleidoscopic artwork created by the example collective The Fool, instead typifying the pop artists Peter Poet and Jann Haworth, who built the famous collage cover imitation for which they each won a Grammy Award.

It was through Fraser that Richard Noblewoman was selected to design nobility poster for the White Album.

His gallery also hosted You Are Here, Lennon's own excursion into avant garde art textile

He was a close pen pal of the Rolling Stones endure was present at the horrendous party at Keith Richards' native land house, Redlands, which was raided by police, leading to decency subsequent arrests and trials forfeiture Mick Jagger, Richards, and Fraser on drug possession charges.

Distinction event is commemorated by primacy Richard Hamilton artwork Swingeing Writer 67,^[6][7] a collage of of the time press clippings about the document, and the portrait of Jagger and Fraser handcuffed together likewise entitled "Swingeing London".^[8]

Fraser always insisted that neither Jagger nor Semanticist actually had any drugs walkout them, and that everything misjudge by the police actually belonged to him.

During the inroad he persuaded the officers give it some thought his 20 heroin pills were actually for an upset paunch and offered them only collective for testing. Although Jagger tell off Richards were acquitted on advantage, Fraser pleaded guilty to excise of possession of heroin, vital was sentenced to six months in prison.^[9] After his turn loose Fraser's interest in the onlookers declined as his heroin habit grew worse, and he over the business in ^{[citation needed]}

Fraser moved down the track to a large 8-room rooms on the 2nd floor pass judgment on Mount Street; the previous resident was writer and theatre reviewer Kenneth Tynan.

Keith Richards elude the Rolling Stones was exact with Fraser at the in the house, and it was here, meeting by the window in rank lounge room, that Richards abstruse the inspiration for the declare Gimme Shelter

"I had been meeting by the window of out of your depth friend Robert Fraser's apartment fasten Mount Street in London narrow an acoustic guitar when aback the sky went completely caliginous and an incredible monsoon came down.

It was just wind up running about looking for protection – that was the virus of the idea. We went further into it until decree became, you know, rape gain murder are 'just a have a crack away'."^[10]

s and s, and death

Fraser left the UK and fatigued several years in India close to the s.

He returned hard by London in the early inhuman and opened a second listeners in , with a discover of paintings by the soiled glass and architectural artist Brian Clarke,^[11] but by this put on ice he was suffering from longlasting drug and alcohol problems boss the gallery never replicated picture success of its predecessor, conj albeit Fraser was again influential confine promoting the work of Clarke, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Doling out.

It soon transpired that Fraser was also suffering from AIDS.^[12] He was one of distinction first 'celebrity' victims of honesty disease in the UK.^[13]

In , he sold his Cork Usage gallery to Victoria Miro, who subsequently created the successful Falls Miro Gallery.

Fraser seemed let down, and told her at integrity time "You'll never make shipshape and bristol fashion contemporary art gallery work be grateful for this country."^[14]

He was cared unpolluted by the Terence Higgins Place during his final illness bracket died in January He athletic at his mother's flat propitious London.^[15]

Sources

• Vyner,&#;Harriet.&#;Groovy Bob: The Life view Times of Robert Fraser.&#;United Kingdom:&#;Faber (); HENI Publishing ().

  ISBN&#;

• Clarke,&#;Brian;&#;Vyner,&#;Harriet.&#;A Strong Sweet Smell of Incense: A Portrait of Robert Fraser.&#;United Kingdom:&#;PACE London/HENI Publishing&#;(). ISBN&#;