McCartney lyric inspires 60 artists for War Child auction
More than 60 artists have turned a single Paul McCartney lyric into new art for charity.
The line — “Well the rain exploded with a mighty crash as we fell into the sun” — was chosen by McCartney himself. It comes from the title track of Band on the Run, the 1973 album by McCartney and Wings, according to The Art Newspaper.
Each artist was asked to respond to those words. The result is more than 60 fresh pieces made for the cause.
The lineup includes Genieve Figgis, Alvaro Barrington, Joshua Donkor and Sanya Kantarovsky. Other names include Aleah Chapin, Anne Rothenstein, Alice Kettle, Charlie Billingham and Matt Bollinger. Barrington’s entry is titled Sunset for P.
The group forms the third edition of Sound & Vision, an annual show and sale organised by War Child UK, the London-based children’s charity, and AOAP Projects, an art fundraising platform. The inaugural edition in 2024 was inspired by a David Bowie lyric. The second edition, built around a lyric chosen by Kate Bush, raised more than £140,000.
You can see this year’s works in person at the Iconic Images Gallery in London from 6 to 8 November. An online auction of the pieces will run from 27 October to 12 November. Bidding is open to anyone, with proceeds going to War Child.
That money will fund mental health services, education, protection and emergency aid for children living through conflict. War Child says current priority areas include Sudan, Ukraine and Gaza.
McCartney has backed the charity before. In 1995 he joined Paul Weller and Noel Gallagher to record The Beatles’ Come Together for War Child’s HELP album, which supported children affected by the war in Bosnia. That album was cut at Studio Two at Abbey Road Studios in London in September 1995.
War Child is well known for mixing music and visual art to raise money. Its Secret 7" project, covered by Reuters in August, invites artists to design unique vinyl sleeves — one-off covers for pressed records — for auction.
What makes this stand out is the simplicity. A song becomes a picture. A picture becomes practical help. You do not need to follow the art market to get it.
