“Look at Earth from Outer Space”
Matt Glasby brings holographic energy to his commemorative Coldplay live at the Royal Albert Hall poster.
Continuing the Teenage Cancer Trust's 25 years at the Royal Albert Hall celebrations, we have Matt Glasby's commemorative poster for Coldplay's 2003 concert.
Glasby's work is joining a host of other posters adorning the walls of the Royal Albert Hall, where the Teenage Cancer Trust have hung their History of Teenage Cancer Trust at The Royal Albert Hall Music Poster Series, which runs from March 6th through to the 31st.
The exhibition pays homage to the rich history of concerts that have run at the venue since the year 2000, and Micky England from the charity had this to say about the exciting project:
"Our gig poster project was inspired by San Francisco's Fillmore. Their walls are filled with unique gig posters celebrating the rich history of shows performed at the venue. We wanted to achieve something similar to honour the incredible history of events that have taken place in support of Teenage Cancer Trust since our Honorary patron Roger Daltrey launched the shows at the Royal Albert Hall in 2000. Working with gig poster artists around the world, and incredible print studios like White Duck Editions, we have been thrilled to revisit many performances and produce stunning artworks in collaboration with the headliners."
What an objective! When San Francisco's historic music venue, The Fillmore, was built in 1912, the Royal Albert Hall had been standing for some 41 years, and has grown to become one of the UK's most iconic venues, not to mention a bucket-list stage to play for any musician. With 132 shows and counting, the Teenage Cancer Trust has created over 25 years of enviable concert history to draw upon.
THE POSTER
Glasby's artwork is a bold play on elements from the band's second album while simultaneously seeking to channel the exuberance of the Coldplay we know today. Talking about the making process and what inspired him, the artist had this to say:
"It was such an honour to work with The Teenage Cancer Trust on this poster for Coldplay - the pressure was real on this one for sure! A lot of the imagery took inspiration from Coldplays latest album at the time of the concert - A Rush of Blood to the Head. The opening line on the album is 'look at Earth from outer space', from Politik, this was something I wanted to represent and became a central starting point. Themes of time and retrospection stood out to me and so these also fed in to the imagery that made up the composition. The Rainbow foil is a perfect nod to, and a way to tie the poster into the band's current aesthetics and energy. I'm super happy how this one came together!"
We certainly felt some of the pressure that Glasby describes when silkscreening the poster. It was our first opportunity to work with the charity, and the posters required a tight turnaround.
Silkscreen printing onto holographic foil stock comes with its challenges, but the effect, when used to its fullest and as part of the poster design, is undeniably captivating. The holographic paper we use at White Duck Editions is manufactured to our own specification, to ensure both consistency in the silkscreen printing process and a good handle for the customer, and our ink system is tailored to adhere brilliantly to the laminated surface of the paper.
Glasby's poster was printed in just three layers, but the rainbow iridescence of the holographic paper brings with it a wild fiesta of colour. Produced in an extremely limited edition of just 25 prints, the edition was sent overseas for the band to sign while on tour.
The Teenage Cancer Trust's poster series is currently exhibiting at The Royal Albert Hall from March 18th until March 31st, 2025, coinciding with the live concerts.
Matt Glasby's Coldplay edition is available now, alongside other posters from the series and with yet more to be revealed. Visit the Teenage Cancer Trust website/shop to explore the collection and secure a piece of this extraordinary series.
