Summer of Love spirit revived in Richmond

8.10.32pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 13th Apr 2007

Forty years on from Sergeant Pepper, a new exhibition in Richmond aims to recapture the spirit of the Summer of Love.

Surreal, pop and psychedelic art will go on display in a month-long show called Love is…? It will run from 2 June to 1 July at the Richmond Council-run Riverside Gallery in the Old Town Hall, Whittaker Avenue. The show is inspired by the heady days of 1967 and will explore all aspects of love and relationships from the romantic to the erotic. Paying homage to Pop and Psychedilia, the exhibition will also feature iconic portraits of The Beatles by American photographer Richard Avedon and pioneering work by British artist Peter Blake. Modern pieces from contemporary artists in a variety of media and styles will also be included, drawing on Victoriana, Art Deco, comics, non-Western and non-mainstream sources.

Cllr John Coombs, Cabinet Member for the Arts on Richmond Council, said:

"The Summer of Love was a very influential period in our history and its legacy still reverberates today through music, fashion, art and much more. And I'm delighted to announce this superb event to mark its 40th anniversary. As Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was the soundtrack of 1967, it's hugely exciting to have Richard Avedon's portraits of the Fab Four on show. I'm sure the exhibition will prove a big hit with young and old alike and continue a record-breaking year at the Riverside Gallery."