MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

London museum buys Rolling Stones iconic tongue logo

The original artwork for The Rolling Stones' iconic lips and tongue symbol has been bought by London's Victoria and Albert Museum.

The logo, originally designed in 1970 and used by the rock band ever since, sold in the United States for 92,500 US dollars (£51,375). Half the cost was met by charity The Art Fund, which called the work "one of the most visually dynamic logos ever". Artist John Pasche, who sold the artwork, was originally paid £50 for creating the design. The Stones were so pleased with the logo that, in 1972, they gave him a bonus of £200. Pasche was studying at London's Royal College of Art when Stones frontman Mick Jagger, disappointed by the bland designs put forward by record label Decca, began looking for a design student to help create a logo. The singer went to see Pasche's degree show, which eventually led to the iconic pop art design's creation, first used on the Stones' Sticky Fingers album in 1971. "The Rolling Stones were one of the first bands who really took logos and made branding a serious part of their business," said deputy director of The Art Fund, Andrew Macdonald. "It marks, therefore, the transition from this kind of rebelliousness of the 60s into the corporate machines that we see today." Pasche went on to design a series of Rolling Stones posters for their tours during the 1970s and early 80s. His logo, which is said to represent Jagger's famous lips and the band's rebellious edge, has been used as a backdrop on their various world tours. The artist later worked with other musicians including Sir Paul McCartney and The Who, later becoming art director at United Artists, Chrysalis Records and London's South Bank Centre. The V&A's Victoria Broakes said the lips and tongue design was "arguably the world's most famous rock logo". She added that its artist used to visit the museum for inspiration, and had created the logo close to the museum's location.