Peter Blake: Collage

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British Library Sound Archive: National Life Stories Artists' Lives: Peter Blake interviewed by Linda Sandino between April 2003 and February 2005 In 1962, Peter Blake was chosen to be part of Ken Russell’s film entitle Pop Goes the Easel, made for BBC. Blake was one of four emerging British Pop art artists featured, along with Pauline Boty, Peter Phillips, and Derek Boshier. Peter Blake and Dealer Representation

For Blake, using recognizable imagery wasn't just a tool to manipulate the psychology of the viewer; instead, he used well-known source imagery as a subject in its own right. Blake takes the appropriation of Johns and Noland a step further, by incorporating a real archery target into his work. In this way, Blake bluntly names the literal target "art" much in the way of his early role model Duchamp, thus stripping away the art world's inherent pretension. 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.Peter Blake was invited to a dinner, in 1959, held by Lawrence Alloway, and art critic and Independent Group Founder, and member of the Institute of Contemporary Art. Blake shared his creative visions with the group, who were all part of the emerging British Pop art community. Peter Blake and Early Exhibitions Although this work is now Peter Blake’s most recognizable, he was paid a minimal wage of 200 British pounds sterling for the vinyl record cover. He would however go on to create numerous album sleeves for other bands. Peter Blake Education and Early Art

In 1992, Blake was featured in the BBC documentary Masters of the Canvas. 10 years later, in 2002, the artist received a knighthood for his services to art. Around his 80th birthday, Blake recreated the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band cover art using pictures of people he had met throughout his life. He used computer software to produce the art, instead of the plywood pieces that were used to create the original design. Since 2012, the London show has also included Frieze Masters, selling work by Old Masters, but contemporary art remains its main selling point. In stark contrast to his surroundings, Peter Blake is refreshingly conventional. His attitude is down to earth - all his eccentricity is in his art. Peter Blake received many prominent commissions from multiple public figures, including the Beatles, where he designed the cover sleeve for the band’s album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in collaboration with his former wife, and American artist, Jann Haworth. This sleeve became a significant image of pop art and has since been among one of the most replicated and famous works from the pop art era. Blake also produced sleeves for other artists such as Paul Weller, The Who’s, Eric Clapton, Pentangle, and Band Aid. 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.”

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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.” Peter Blake’s The Beach Boys (1964) represents not only his love for pop music, but the yearning to be part of American culture and lifestyle. Collection of the Tate, in London, United Kingdom. Doktor K. Tortur (1965)