Project Strata | Volume 1: Music | No. 1: Stewart Copeland
Why Stewart Copeland
At Project Strata we’re focused on what can be learned from the game changers. And how artists in collaboration can bring out and illustrate those life lessons.
Stewart Copeland holds a place as arguably one of the most innovative, influential, and recognizable drummers in rock history. He redefined the role of the drummer by blending diverse musical influences and treating the drum kit as a compositional voice, not just an instrument to keep time. His unique sound palette and diverse musical influences, along with that tight snare drum, those toms, and octobans were a crucial component to the massive worldwide success of The Police.
His post Police projects are equally impressive. Copeland fashioned a multifaceted career that transcends his rock drumming roots, positioning him as a highly versatile and influential composer across film, television, video games, opera, ballet, and orchestral music. Not to mention he can now add author and filmmaker to his resume. Stewart Copeland has proven himself a musical polymath and a visionary who breaks down barriers between genres.
And, in working with Stewart on previous SceneFour projects we realized he is not only a world class musician and composer, but a born story teller, and a uniquely interesting hang.
The Print Edition
Artists: Stewart Copeland with Ravi Dosaj, after a Lawerence Impey Photograph
Print: 12-color archival pigment print on 100% cotton fine art paper, signed and numbered in the lower margin by Stewart Copeland and Ravi Dosaj.
Release: exclusive worldwide edition:
20X24 sheet, 16X20 Image, edition 40, $600.
28x34 sheet, 24X30 Image, edition 10, $1400.
The Collaborators
Stewart Copeland (B. 1952 Alexandria, Virginia) is an American musician and composer. He is best known as the co-founder and drummer of the rock band The Police. Copeland's formative years in the Middle East influenced his drumming style - - a fusion of reggae, punk rock, and world music rhythms, also noted for creative use of syncopation and a sharp snare sound. Stewart was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 as a member of The Police. In 2016, Rolling Stone ranked him 10th on its "100 Greatest Drummers of All Time" list. After The Police's hiatus in the mid-1980s, Copeland composed high profile scores for film, television, video games, opera, and ballet. He has also been part of supergroups like Animal Logic and Oysterhead. In recent years, Copeland has released and toured orchestral works internationally. Stewart Copeland lives and works in Los Angeles, California.
Ravi Dosaj (B. 1970 Culver City, California) is the co-founder and creative director of SceneFour Art and is known for co-creating "Rhythmic Expressionism," a unique fine art movement that translates the live musical performances into abstract art. Dosaj has collaborated with a wide array of iconic musical figures, including members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Black Sabbath, Guns N' Roses, The Police, Wu-Tang Clan, and many others. Beyond SceneFour projects, Dosaj has developed a personal artistic language focused on abstract expressionism and spiritual themes, often examining the nature of consciousness and perception. His distinctive aesthetic relies heavily on color exploration, deconstruction, and an examination of internal existence. His collaborative fine art collections are highly sought after, with collectors in more than 80 countries and his work has shown in numerous museum and gallery exhibitions throughout the US. Ravi Dosj lives and works in Long Beach, California.
Lawrence Impey is a British photographer, is a school friend of Stewart Copeland and a graduate of the photography program at the Bournemouth & Poole College of Art and Technology. Lawrence took the first photographs of The Police in January 1977 on a Mayfair rooftop and later that year was the first to photograph the band’s new lineup, this time in Sting’s basement in Bayswater, London. His photographs appeared on the band’s first single ‘Fall Out’ and on the back cover of their first album ‘Outlandos d’Amour’. In 2025 Rocket 88 published ‘The Police Lineup’, a comprehensive collection of all of Lawrence’s Police photographs. Today Lawrence engages in contemplative and artistic projects, such as the book 'Tonewood', a collaboration with poet Sue Rose, featuring images of woodland taken over four seasons.