1969 - 2007
We had first made the BREASTS print on an ex-government surplus ecru jersey T-shirt printed with a basic mono black and a fine blue tint. This was in 1969, made from a photograph of 60’s top model Pat Boothe. Photographer and Fashion entrepreneur, James Wedge agreed to do the picture for us. We think it turned out to be the most beautiful breasts photograph we could imagine. Caroline Baker, Fashion Editor of NOVA magazine introduced us to James when he was commissioned to photograph our ‘Painless Tattoos’ Collection. The BREASTS print was conceived along the same lines as the tattoos - superimposing features of the body onto the clothes - trompe-l'aeil.
The BREASTS printed on a cotton/silk jersey T-shirt, 1969
Pat and James sold our BREASTS T-shirts in their famous Chelsea Boutique called COUNTDOWN. We also sold the T-shirts in New York and a few shops in Europe but there were probably only about 40 produced at that time.
“When Malcolm Maclaren and Vivienne Westwood visited our studio in '73, they were interested in stocking our photomontage designs and the BREASTS print for their new incarnation at 430 Kings Road but the shadow of Paradise Garage still hung over us, we couldn’t agree on a T-shirt shape, then we couldn’t agree on a label - we always insisted on our names being shown on the T-shirts. Characteristically, this last point ruled out further affinity with us.”
In 1977 at Kitsch-22 and later at BOY we successfully relaunched the BREASTS print.
From BOY BLACKMAIL 1980. Picture: Sheila Rock
Tattoo designs from the ‘Painless Tattoos’ Collection 1969 were superimposed on the BREASTS T-shirt.
A Polaroid of Molly wearing the BREASTS T-shirt. 1977
In 2007, the Aquarium Gallery's ‘Paradise Garage Massacre’ Exhibition resurrected our BREASTS T-shirt, printed from the original screens in the original format.
Poster for ‘Paradise Garage Massacre’ Exhibition.
Aquarium Gallery 2007.
BREASTS T-shirt. Limited edition.
Boxed, signed with historical references and A2 digital print.
Aquarium Gallery 2007.
On the table, the last three prints of the limited edition of
BREASTS T-shirts from the original screens. September 2007.
BREASTS T-shirt fronts drying after printing. 1980