Sir Peter Blake
Artist's Biography
Sir Peter Blake won international fame in the 1960s as a leading exponent
of the British Pop Art Movement. His work is represented in major collections
throughout the world with images born of a love affair with the icons
and ephemera of popular culture, his influence on the music world can
be summarised by the seminal cover art for The Beatles’ ‘Sergeant
Pepper’ album.
He graduated from The Royal College of Art, London in 1956 then studied
Folk Art in Europe with a research award and from 1959 produced collages
with pin-up photos and star images for posters, LP covers and other
media.
He taught in London at St. martin’s School of Art and Walthamstow
School of Art and in 1961 obtained first prize in the John Moore Exhibition,
Liverpool, for ‘Self Portrait with Badges’.
Given his first retrospective in 1969 by the City Art Gallery in Bristol,
in the same year he became a ‘Ruralist’, leaving the city
to live in the country. In 1973 and 1974 he had retrospectives in Amsterdam,
Hamburg, Brussels and Arnheim. He found the ‘Brotherhood of Ruralists’
in 1975.
From 1974 to 1976 he taught at the Royal Collage of Art, he was made
A.R.A in 1974 and R.A in 1981. He now works from his studio in London
maintaining a prolific output of work.
Peter was knighted in 2002.
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