Pete Townshend, legendary guitarist and songwriter of The Who, brought the raw energy of rock to generations of fans. He redefined live performance with his now legendary signature act of ending the performance by smashing up his guitar. Yet away from the stage, the sea has long been one of his true loves. From his classic yacht Serenade, whose sail he has generously donated to Rock & Royals, comes this artwork that bridges his two great passions  - music and sailing. In creating this artwork, I imagined Townshend’s iconic moment of destruction transposed onto a different arena - his guitar crashes not onto the wooden boards of a concert stage, but against the welded and tempered steel hull of a classic yacht in restoration ... ironically a classic boat he once hoped to restore himself. The circular weld glows with added symbolism, echoing the famous red, white and blue target emblem of The Who, a timeless badge of rebellion, rhythm and identity.
This transformation of sail into art celebrates Townshend’s dual legacy - the untamed spirit of rock, the raw force of his performance with his guitar shattering into steel and his love of sailing and the peaceful silence of the sea. A man forever pushing boundaries, both before a roaring crowd and out upon the ocean.