MUSICIANS and their troubled lives were the subject of an art exhibition held in Winchester last month.

The Dark Side of The tune coupled an exhibition by a Winchester-born artist Edie Lawrence, 18, with live entertainment from young musicians including Wild Smiles, Habitats and The Next R.E.V.Olution.

The exhibition featured fifteen five-foot high acrylic paintings representing the troubled lives of famous musicians, such as Amy Winehouse and Rhianna, John Lennon and Sid Vicious which 18-year-old Edie said she’d created to raise funds for the Amy Winehouse Foundation, which helps support young people living with abuse, addiction and homelessness.

The evening, held on December 22, raised £900 for the charity.

“The idea was to celebrate those musicians who were known for being outstanding in their particular genre of music but also to explore the more troubled side of their personal lives,” she said. “I think a lot of what influences musicians is the tragedy in their lives and that’s how they relate to people.”

The first art exhibition to feature at The Railway was also Edie’s first solo exhibition. Last year she won the Teenage Cancer Trust’s national competition to design an album cover for Brazilian rock band CSS and her works also feature on the inner walls of Southampton’s popular music venue, Soul Cellar.

The exhibition also featured music icons of the last 40 years including Jim Morrison, Notorious BIG and the recently deceased Lou Reed.

Edie said: “I try to capture the expression of a person in my art by choosing a photo which represents who they are. I use vibrant colours and bold strokes. I also tent to listen to their music when I paint which helps me understand what their lyrics relate to in their lives.”