Peter Blake (artist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peter Blake
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Blake in 2016
|
|
| Born |
Peter Thomas Blake
25 June 1932 |
| Education | Royal College of Art |
| Known for | Painting, printmaking, collage |
|
Notable work
|
Self-Portrait with Badges, 1961 |
| Movement | Pop art |
| Spouse(s) |
|
Sir Peter Thomas Blake (born 25 June 1932) is a famous English pop artist. He is best known for helping create the cover for the Beatles' 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Sir Peter Blake also designed covers for albums by The Who and the Band Aid song "Do They Know It's Christmas?". He even designed the poster for the Live Aid concert. In 2002, he was made a knight by the King for his amazing work in art.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Peter Blake was born in Dartford, Kent, England, on June 25, 1932. He studied art at the Gravesend Technical College and later at the important Royal College of Art.
Peter Blake's Art Career
From the late 1950s, Peter Blake's paintings started to include images from everyday life. He used pictures from advertisements, music hall shows, and even wrestlers. He often added collage elements, which means sticking different materials onto the artwork.
In 1961, Blake was part of an exhibition called "Young Contemporaries." Here, he was first recognized as part of the new British Pop Art movement. He won an award for his painting Self Portrait with Badges. He became even more famous after appearing in a TV show about pop art called Pop Goes the Easel in 1962.
Blake's art became very popular in the 1960s. He had his first solo art show in 1965. He even appeared on the front cover of LIFE International magazine.
Famous Artworks and Album Covers
One of Blake's early and important works is On the Balcony (1955–1957). This painting looks like a collage but is actually all painted. It shows a boy holding a famous painting by Édouard Manet, along with badges and magazines. It mixes popular culture with fine art.
His painting Girls with Their Hero (1959) shows different parts of Elvis Presley. It mixes pop art with a feeling of looking back at old times. Another early work is Captain Webb Matchbox, based on a matchbox design. The First Real Target (1961) is a fun take on other artists' target paintings.
Designing Album Covers
Peter Blake is famous for designing many album covers. He co-created the iconic cover for the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band with his wife, Jann Haworth. This cover is one of the most famous pop art pieces ever. It was made by building a set with cut-out photos and objects. Blake later said he only received a small payment for this very famous design.
He also designed covers for:
- The Band Aid single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" (1984)
- Paul Weller's Stanley Road (1995)
- The Who's Face Dances (1981) and WHO (2019)
- Oasis's greatest hits album Stop the Clocks (2006)
The Oasis cover includes many familiar figures like Dorothy from Wizard of Oz and Michael Caine.
Other Interesting Projects
In 1968, Blake created Babe Rainbow, a special print on metal that sold for £1 each.
In the 1970s, Blake moved out of London. His art then focused on English folklore and characters from Shakespeare. He made beautiful watercolour paintings to illustrate Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll. He also helped start a group called the Brotherhood of Ruralists.
Later, he moved back to London and returned to using popular culture in his art. He painted the artwork for Eric Clapton's live album 24 Nights in 1991. He also painted a portrait of the wrestler Kendo Nagasaki for a TV show.
In 2006, Blake designed a new artwork for The Who to celebrate their famous Live at Leeds album. He also designed a collage for the Chelsea Football Club's home kit in 2010.
For his 80th birthday, Blake created a new version of the Sgt. Pepper album cover. This time, it featured famous British cultural icons he admired. He said it showed how strong British culture is.
In 2016, he designed the artwork for Eric Clapton's album I Still Do. In 2020, his poster London Stands Together was given out in a London newspaper.
Awards and Recognition
Peter Blake has received many honors for his contributions to art.
- He became a Royal Academician in 1981.
- He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1983.
- In 2002, he was knighted by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace, earning him the title "Sir."
His work has been shown in major art galleries. The Tate Gallery held big exhibitions of his art in 1983 and 2008. In 2005, the Sir Peter Blake Music Art Gallery opened at the University of Leeds, showing many of his album cover designs. He has also received honorary degrees from several universities.
Personal Life
Peter Blake was married to artist Jann Haworth from 1963 to 1979, and they had two daughters. In 1987, he married fellow artist Chrissy Wilson, and they have a daughter together.
He has lived in Chiswick, London, since 1967. His art studio there used to be a warehouse.
See also
In Spanish: Peter Blake (artista) para niños
