On loan to The Met The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.

Smashed Gibson SG Special in Lucite

Gibson American
 Pete Townshend

Not on view

While a student at Ealing Art College in London, Pete Townshend studied with Gustav Metzger, a founder of the Auto-Destructive Art movement. Embracing material destruction as a protest of capitalist production, Metzger’s philosophies guided the rebellious anger behind the musician’s smashing of instruments. Townshend destroyed this example during a photo shoot with Annie Liebovitz for Rolling Stone that resulted in “How to Launch Your Guitar in 17 Steps” (on view nearby). This sculpture made from the remains has been on display in the Rolling Stone office building for decades since.

Technical Description: Mahogany body and neck, rosewood fingerboard, nickel and plastic hardware; smashed and encased in Lucite

Smashed Gibson SG Special in Lucite, Gibson (American, founded Kalamazoo, Michigan 1902), Lucite, Mahogany, rosewood, metal, plastic

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.

Smashed Gibson SG Special in Lucite, Gibson (American, founded Kalamazoo, Michigan 1902), Lucite, Mahogany, rosewood, metal, plastic
Smashed Gibson SG Special in Lucite, Gibson (American, founded Kalamazoo, Michigan 1902), Lucite, Mahogany, rosewood, metal, plastic
Smashed Gibson SG Special in Lucite, Gibson (American, founded Kalamazoo, Michigan 1902), Lucite, Mahogany, rosewood, metal, plastic
Smashed Gibson SG Special in Lucite, Gibson (American, founded Kalamazoo, Michigan 1902), Lucite, Mahogany, rosewood, metal, plastic
Smashed Gibson SG Special in Lucite, Gibson (American, founded Kalamazoo, Michigan 1902), Lucite, Mahogany, rosewood, metal, plastic
Smashed Gibson SG Special in Lucite, Gibson (American, founded Kalamazoo, Michigan 1902), Lucite, Mahogany, rosewood, metal, plastic
Smashed Gibson SG Special in Lucite, Gibson (American, founded Kalamazoo, Michigan 1902), Lucite, Mahogany, rosewood, metal, plastic
Smashed Gibson SG Special in Lucite, Gibson (American, founded Kalamazoo, Michigan 1902), Lucite, Mahogany, rosewood, metal, plastic

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.