12 July to 9 August 2008
A touring exhibition from the Hayward Gallery
Peter Blake emerged in the 1960s as one of the leading British Pop Artists; he is most famous, perhaps, for his cover design of The Beatles' Sergeant Pepper album in 1967.
Alphabet is a set of bold and colourful silkscreen prints, one for each letter of the alphabet, produced by the artist in 1991. The prints characterise his typical method of working, incorporating 'found' imagery from postcards, magazines and popular ephemera. From the familiar Z for Zebra to the esoteric P for Pachyderm these screen prints reflect his humour, nostalgia and eclecticism.
Born in 1932 in Dartford, Kent, Blake studied at the Royal College (1953-56) where he was a contemporary and friend of David Hockney. There he began to explore themes such as circus performers, film stars and the emblematic motifs of children’s games, badges and comics. During this time he also experimented with abstract planes of colour, juxtaposed with images of musicians, actors and models, including rock ‘n’ roll icons such as Elvis Presley and the Everly Brothers.
In 1969 Peter Blake moved to the West Country and six years later co-founded the Brotherhood of Ruralists. Since then he has produced more traditional paintings and watercolours alongside his Pop collages and constructions. He was elected Member of the Royal Academy of Arts in 1981 and was awarded a CBE in 1983. In the same year, a major retrospective of his work at the Tate Gallery, London was one of the most successful exhibitions ever held there for a living artist. He is now an active Royal Academician, and was the chief curator of the RA’s 2001 Summer Exhibition. He lives and works in London.
Wednesday 16 July 2008 - 1pm in the Gallery - Free Gallery Tour
Humour, Nostalgia and Eclectism in Peter Blake's Alphabet with Olive Maggs
The tour will look carefully at a selection from Peter Blake's alphabet, to discover the artist who played a key role in the British Pop Art scene of the 1960s. Throughout his career he has maintained the playful quality of his earlier work and the alphabet reveals an indirect self-portrait of Sir Peter Blake, often inspired from a nostalgic view of his childhood as well as a fascination with popular culture.
Olive Maggs, BA, PGCE, MIfL is a well known teacher and History of Art Lecturer for Courses for the University of Surrey, Guildford Adult Education and Frensham Heights School and has been an examiner in the subject at 'A' Level for many years.
Places for this Gallery Tour are free, but spaces are limited, so early booking is recommended. You may also request a portable chair for the tour which will last approximately one hour.
Wednesday 30 July 2008 - 1pm in the Brew House - Free Lunchtime Talk
'Off the Record' with David Dragon
David’s talk will give some anecdotal stories on some of the record sleeves in the exhibition and also on his time at Decca and EMI where he worked as an illustrator. Some of David's work will be on display in the Garden Room during this exhibition.
David Dragon left Canterbury College of Art with a diploma in graphic design, in 1969. He started work in the design studio at the Decca Records in London. In his four years there he designed LP covers for artists as diverse as Irish rock band Thin Lizzy to Finnish composer Sibelius.
Leaving Decca to join EMI Records, he continued to add to the roster of artists in his portfolio, including Cliff Richard and Glen Campbell. In the mid 70’s, when Punk burst upon the music scene, he worked on two releases that later gained cult status, Wire’s ‘Pink Flag’ and the compilation ‘Live At The Roxy’.
He went freelance in the early 80’s, and began working with fellow designer Ken Ansell, David as illustrator and Ken as typographer. Together, they completed LP and singles sleeves for the likes of XTC and UB40, going on to found design company Clinic. He retired in March 2007, but continues to take on commissions, most recently for Oasis.
Places for this talk are free, but spaces are limited, so early booking is recommended.
For directions to Guildford House Gallery, visit our How To Find Us page.
Guildford House Gallery
155 High Street
Guildford
Surrey
GU1 3AJ
Tel: 01483 444740
Fax: 01483 444742
Email: guildfordhouse@guildford.gov.uk
Open Tuesday to Saturday. 10am to 4.45pm. Admission Free