Who is Sir Peter Blake the Artist?
Before he was Knighted at Buckingham Palace, previously known as Peter Thomas Blake was born on June 25, 1932, in Dartford, a small town located an hour southeast of London, from a young age, Blake showed an interest in the arts, finding inspiration from the various types of movie and event posters of the time.
Between 1946 and 1951, Blake attended the Gravesend Technical College and School of Art. During the same time, Blake moved on to study at the Royal College of Art in London, where he left in 1956.
During the early stages of his career, Blake remained focused on early mid-century contemporary art and he would later pick up the inspiration from naturalistic paintings, various colourful scenes from the circus, and using popular imagery of event posters as part of the inspiration behind his work.
Throughout the late 1950s and much of the 1960s, Blake worked on various projects, however in 1967, Blake received the opportunity to design the album cover sleeve artwork for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, is one of the most iconic album cover artworks ever created for The Beatles.
Alongside his then-wife, Jann Haworth, Blake created what would become an iconic piece of musical history, but anchored himself as one of the founding fathers pf the English Pop Art movement. Blake’s work included popular culture, from pop music to other leading figures in prints and painting collections.
Sir Peter Blake Album Covers
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover artwork not only solidified Blake as a forward-thinking artist of the time but also helped lay the groundwork for other artists that would continue to revolutionise the British art scene.
Aside from creating the Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover artwork, which was inspired by the designs of then-band member, Paul McCartney’s original concept, Blake worked with other well-known musicians at the time, including designing two album covers for The Who and the cover of the Band Aid single “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”
Following the success of working with The Beatles and other renowned artists, Blake continued his pursuit of pushing his own artistic boundaries, taking inspiration from images of pop culture and infusing this into his collages.
Sir Peter Blake Art
In 1985, Peter Blake artist was commissioned to design the poster for the Live Aid Global Jukebox concert. The Live Aid concert was a multi-event which took place simultaneously in London, United Kingdom and in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States.
Live Aid was a benefit concert that was organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money and awareness for famine-stricken regions in Ethiopia. Live Aid was perhaps one of the most iconic and influential benefit events ever held.
The concert featured a handful of well-known and biggest artists and musicians of the time. Names such as Queen, Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, U2 and Led Zeppelin, among several others performed at the one-day event.
Sir Blake designed what would become an iconic, and memorable poster. The poster included classic collage-style features of Sir Blake, including a world map, a colourful jukebox at the centre of the page, and several images of children, adults and iconic symbols, such as The Liberty Bell of the United States, placed across the poster.
By the turn of the century, Peter Blake was identified as one of the most influential artists and figures of the time, including the artist who helped pioneer British Pop Art onto the world stage. He was Knighted at Buckingham Palace in 2002.
In 2005, Rockoptic commissioned a limited edition silkscreen print for the 20th anniversary of the poster which was printed in 23 colours and two different glazes.
Aside from working on the iconic Live Aid benefit concert poster, Sir Peter Blake helped to design the 2021 Brit Award statuette. Other notable artists that have previously been commissioned to design the Brit Award trophy include fashion designer Vivienne Westwood and artist Daniel Hirst.
Peter Blake Collage Art & Artworks
Sir Peter Blake dominated the English Pop Art movement, and his work continues to stand as an inspiration for other artists such as painters, sculptors and those pioneering a new era of British modern art. St. Pauls Gallery features several of Peter Blake’s original art for sale such as his collage art, transport art and those pieces that helped inspire post-war mid-century modern art.
For more information about Sir Peter Blake artwork, cover art of illustrations contact our team at St. Pauls Gallery for assistance or viewings.
