Peter Blake: Collage

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As part of 'The Big Egg Hunt' February 2012 Sir Peter Blake designed an egg on behalf of Dorchester Collection. Blake created the carpet which runs through the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom's Middlesex Guildhall building. [18] An avid collector, Blake's collages combine junkyard treasures and found objects with images from popular culture. He revisits themes drawn from his childhood - the entertainments of the circus, the glamour of the cinema and the showmanship of the wrestling ring - weaving detailed, often humorous narratives. From his early paintings depicting assembled fragments of popular imagery, to his found-object constructions and his most recent inkjet print collages, Blake has broadened the scope of what collage can be and communicate.

Below the band are the words THE BEACH BOYS in graphic design in blue, orange, red, white, and brown. Peter Blake by Michael Compton, Nicholas Usherwood and Robert Melville (art critic) ( Tate Gallery)An avid collector, Blake’s collages combine junkyard treasures and found objects with images from popular culture. He revisits themes drawn from his childhood – the entertainments of the circus, the glamour of the cinema and the showmanship of the wrestling ring – weaving detailed, often humorous narratives. From his early paintings depicting assembled fragments of popular imagery, to his found-object constructions and his most recent inkjet print collages, Blake has broadened the scope of what collage can be and communicate.

A Museum for Myself by Peter Blake – Published by Holburne Museum to accompany an exhibition held from 14 May to 4 September 2011 At the Royal College his tutors included John Minton, whose name comes up when Blake discusses Late Period: Battle, a painting that he began in 1964. He describes the process of selecting the subject: ‘For a very short period I had a proper studio which I rented. That meant I had room to do a picture on a large scale. So I thought about what the subject should be and decided at that point that something like a battle would be completely unfashionable. No one else would be painting battles in 1964.’

The composition of the painting is also staged like the cover of a glossy magazine and Blake’s addition of the streamers, balloons, and confetti adds a hedonistic party aesthetic. The adoption of photographic media coupled with the collaging of other elements to form a picture is characteristic of Blake’s work. Before we say goodbye, he shows me round his studio, and his vast collection of curios, including some lovely sculptures made of driftwood. From precious antiques to worthless bric-a-brac, he clearly loves it all. Knighted in 2002, an honorary doctor of the Royal College of Art, and with his work represented in major collections throughout the world, Blake's influence is present in the portfolios ofmany highly acclaimed artists of our times.

Cathie Pilkington, keeper of the Royal Academy Schools, said: “Although academic life drawing is no longer a compulsory subject, many of our students use drawing as a central part of their practice.” Although these works were widely panned by critics in their time, his 1983 Tate retrospective boasted record-breaking attendance—cementing him as one of the most significant living British artists. His relevance was reinforced by the relationships he soon forged with many of the Young British Artists. “My generation,” noted Tracey Emin in a talk at the Tate, “all of us, absolutely, from Damien [Hirst], Sarah Lucas, Gavin Turk, Mat Collishaw, we all adore Peter. And we adore his work, because Peter, right from the beginning—this is like maybe 15, 20 years ago—made an immediate connection with all of us.”Ian Dury, whom he’d taught at art school, wrote a song for the exhibition, called Peter The Painter: “It’s a lovely song – it’s his homage to me, which is very nice.” Blake returned the compliment after Dury’s death, when he painted a portrait of Dury, for a tribute album in his honour. In 1990 and 1991, Blake painted the artwork to Eric Clapton's 1991 million-selling live album 24 Nights. A scrapbook featuring all of Blake's drawing was later released. In January 1992, Blake appeared on BBC2's acclaimed Arena Masters of the Canvas documentary and painted the portrait of the wrestler Kendo Nagasaki. [15] The Dazzle motif references Blake's recent exploration of the 'dazzle' effect camouflage which was adopted by the Navy during the First and Second World Wars, consisting of complex patterns of geometric shapes painted on the vessels to confuse the enemy as to their position, speed and course. To celebrate the Liverpool Biennale, Peter Blake was commissioned to decorate the Mersey Ferry, upon which he displayed his 'Dazzle' technique to great effect. The success of this led his series of 26 'Dazzle' silkscreen letters in 2017, which will be exhibited in full at Bohun Gallery”. Defining Space explores the impact of negative space within the work of 20th and 21st century artists, demonstrating how line and drawing play a crucial role in mapping out imagined spatial configurations. The work is a modern take on Thomas Gainsborough's The Blue Boy (1770), which sets a beautifully dressed aristocratic young man in the dramatic English countryside. Instead of a windswept landscape, Blake stands in front of a dingy suburban fence, demonstrating the difference between the England of the 1960s and the romanticized landscapes of Gainsborough. It also points to the difference between Britain, which was still suffering economically after the Second World War, and America, which was going through a consumer boom.