What Is the Ultimate Reunion Series

What Is the Ultimate Reunion Series? Inside Dean Turner's Iconic Music Art Collection

Check out the upper left corner of Dean Turner's Ultimate Guitarist Reunion, where you will see Stevie Ray Vaughan and Eric Clapton hugging. The positioning of this image was not accidental; their last performance together was at a concert in Alpine Valley in August 1990. Then there was one place left in the helicopter back to Chicago, and Vaughan requested the last seat. The helicopter crashed minutes after take-off in foggy weather.

This is how the Ultimate Reunion Series art was created. There is no one standing next to another in these paintings by accident. The Ultimate Reunion Series is a continuing celebrity art collection by Dean Turner with hand-painted group portraits, featuring musicians and cultural heroes together in one scene that could not possibly happen in real life.

The Series Puts People Together Who Never Shared a Stage

Each painting in the series answers just one question: What if they were all in the same room? The Ultimate Guitarist Reunion features 45 guitarists ranging from Robert Johnson and Bo Diddley to Hendrix, Prince, and Angus Young. The Ultimate Reunion, the second painting in the series, features Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones, Tina Turner, Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, and Stevie Nicks.

If you've ever purchased any concert-inspired artwork, you'll know that the standard piece of artwork is an enlarged, grainy tour photograph, framed and forgotten within a month. Dean Turner’s art is music-inspired paintings that people actually stop, look at, and read.

CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENTS

When featured celebrities see Dean’s art, reactions speak for themselves. Steve Vai signed a copy for Dean stating: "This is awesome! Thanks for making me part of your art." Of course - we gave Steve the Ultimate Guitarist Reunion for his guitar room!

Debbie Harry, performing alongside Alice Cooper at Pandemonium Rocks on the Gold Coast in April 2024, signed Dean's artwork and left with copies of The Ultimate Reunion and Ultimate Queen Reunion. 

Jimmy Barnes, Jackson Browne, Richard Clapton and Ian Moss have all signed a copy of Dean’s art for his personal collection.  Dave Gleeson saw himself in one and said, “I made it!” (Of course he did!) - then posted a video on his Instagram account showing off his copy of the Ultimate Aussie Pub Rock Reunion that has over 5,000 likes.

The art has found its way into some impressive collections too. Mick Fleetwood has a 2m-wide copy of Ultimate Eagles Reunion, and ZZ Top ordered 5 copies of Highway to Hell for the band and friends!

Who Is Dean Turner?

Dean Turner is an Australian artist who is a painter, muralist, and additionally a musician from the Gold Coast, Queensland. He was born in Kelowna, Canada, and grew up in Sydney. Dean took the top position in the first-ever competition he entered, the Darcy Doyle Portrait Prize competition in 2013 with the picture “Vinnie,” and the People's Choice Award in the Royal Queensland Art Society in 2014 with the painting “Heaven Can Wait”.

When Dean is not working on his solo projects, he is a highly sought-after commercial artist, spanning TV, Movies, Theme parks, and commercial spaces - each job sets a different challenge and scale of art.  Dean has created paintings of scenery for films such as Thor: Ragnarok, Godzilla vs. Kong, and Elvis. Moreover, he has created murals for Warner Bros. Movie World and Dreamworld. 

Painting forty-five guitarist icons on a ten-foot canvas is no easy task. But Dean has an immense body of work cultivated over four decades. In his younger years as an artist, Dean spent months lying on his back painting ceiling pieces in a Russian palace. He travelled to Fiji, creating iconic spaces in 7-star resorts where A-list celebrities like John Travolta have spent their summers.

What Makes The Ultimate Reunion Series Art Different From Other Music Wall Art

Rock music wall art sold on the Internet is either a licensed picture or a filtered version. Every Dean Turner print from the Ultimate Reunion Series is reproduced from his original paintings. 

This is original art — painted by hand with acrylics and fine brushes on canvases that are between seven and sixteen feet wide. Each artwork was designed and painted over a six-to-twelve-month period.  

The Ultimate Reunion Series is a collection of twelve paintings (and growing) that Dean has crafted over a 14-year period.

Here’s what makes each artwork special:

  • From conception, Dean invests months researching deeply into the culture, weaving in history and relationships, and crafting an inspired backdrop to form a story unlike anything that has been told before.

  • Every face and detail is hand-painted by Dean with fine brushes for incredible detail.

  • Super-sized originals are commercially scanned, then printed at a reduced size to fit your wall space. Size reduction increases the detail when viewed up close, and looks almost photorealistic from a distance.

  • Each framed canvas includes an A4-sized map and list of featured artists.

  • Suitable for so many great spaces — the bar, pool room, living areas, or commercial spaces. It always draws immediate attention and admiration from visitors.

  • A conversation starter that calls out to our unique memories.

  • The product quality is the result of years of material testing and consultation with prominent interior designers. Dean is equally passionate about providing a high-quality product that you will be proud to hang in your space.

The Ultimate Guitarist Reunion Sequel — You Choose Who's In It

In every artwork, there will always be missing faces.  Every culture has 100s of great artists, and the task of choosing who to include is not an easy one.  For example, the original idea of the Ultimate Guitarist Reunion was to include 100 guitar gods, but Dean could only include half of them due to the available space.

Still, the opinions on who should be included come flooding in. A million people could each develop their "perfect list," and not a single one would be agreed on by the majority.

So Dean is doing something he's never done before — he is preparing a guitarist sequel, and the lineup will be selected by anyone who participates in his voting process. We have collated a list of over 1,100 iconic guitarists. Who will you choose in your personal top 50? Subscribe to our email newsletter or follow us on Facebook for updates on the voting process. 

Which Artworks Are in the Collection Right Now

The Ultimate Reunion Series runs across several genres rather than sticking to one theme:

It’s hard to single out a best seller across the twelve artworks in the Ultimate Reunion Series. Dean’s art connects with our individual passions and the cultures we grew up with. Which artwork do you most connect with?

The Prints Are Built to Stay on a Wall for Decades

Every piece sold is a canvas wall art print - scanned from the original, not a paper poster. The prints are made with a poly-cotton canvas that resists UV fading and water, finished in a structural composite black floating frame and shipped ready to hang. Rolled canvases are also available for DIY or custom professional framing to your own specifications. 

Stock is available in both the USA and Australia; shipping is free worldwide and fully insured, and every order carries a money-back guarantee. Dean's signed name is on each canvas, so he and his wife Mary personally handle after-sales service.

Find the Reunion That Matches Your Own Soundtrack

The best choice should revolve around the music or culture that defines you.

Fans of guitar-based music will linger for hours, studying the details and history of the Ultimate Guitarist Reunion. If there are guitarists who inspired you to play, or their music coloured your best years, the Ultimate Guitarist Reunion will be an obvious choice.

Or if your youth was spent in pubs with a beer in hand, listening to the classic Aussie tunes of AC/DC, The Angels or Cold Chisel, the Ultimate Aussie Pub Rock Reunion will bring on memories and stories of gigs, nights out and the shared love of Aussie rock.

Music-themed wall art works because it resonates with you, bringing back memories, heightening nostalgia, and inspiring new conversations.

Check out the entire Ultimate Reunion Series collection at Dean Turner Art and choose the artwork that speaks to who you are.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Ultimate Reunion Series?

The Ultimate Reunion Series is a collection of unique hand-painted artworks in which Dean Turner unites musicians and cultural icons in situations that could never actually take place. Each piece in the series:

  • Takes six to twelve months to research, design, and hand-paint.

  • Is painted in acrylic on a canvas between seven and sixteen feet wide.

  • Is designed with deep knowledge, care, and thought towards the artists included, the culture they developed, and the setting they are placed in.

  • It is commercially scanned and reproduced as high-quality canvas prints.

Who is Dean Turner?

Dean Turner is an artist and musician hailing from the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Dean Turner was a winner of the Darcy Doyle Portrait Prize in 2013. He worked as a scenic artist for films like Thor: Ragnarok, Godzilla vs. Kong, and Elvis. Dean Turner's music artwork is owned by individuals across Australia and around the world.

What makes the Ultimate Reunion Series unique?

Most celebrity art follows the same pattern.  A featured band member, or a band.  

Dean takes an entirely different approach to the composition.  He captures the spirit of the culture and brings together large groups of significant artists who formed a movement.

Dean weaves in hints of relationship and history between the artists to create a magical scene of each culture.  He spent much of his youth painting icons like Elvis, James Dean, and Bridget Bardot.  He’s taken his incredible talent and painted not one, but a natural gathering of celebrities in a culture-crafted backdrop that captures the essence of a magical time.

Dean has a truly unique and freshly creative approach to celebrity/pop culture art.

Which celebrities are featured in the Ultimate Reunion Series?

Each of the twelve artworks features 20–45 icons of their culture. The Ultimate Guitarist Reunion contains 45 artists, including Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen, Prince, and Angus Young. The Ultimate Reunion contains Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, and Tina Turner. Every framed order comes with a list of all included artists in A4 size, also available on each respective product page.

Is the Ultimate Reunion Series an original artwork?

These paintings are original, and whatever you purchase is an exclusive wall art print made through the commercial scanning of the original painting. Reducing the image from the full-sized original to a wall-sized print increases the visible detail.

 

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