An Alphabet by Peter Blake
Text by Mel Gooding, Gavin Turk. Best known for designing the seminal Beatles album cover, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Sir Peter Blake, born in 1932, is widely considered the godfather of British Pop art. Across his oeuvre, Blake has always drawn inspiration from popular culture, often collaging disparate elements or quoting from works by other artists. Over the years he has continued to produce art for many musicians, including Ian Dury, Paul Weller and Oasis. And today, he is hugely influential among contemporary fine artists such as Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin.
In 2007, Tate Liverpool presented a major retrospective exhibition of Blake's paintings. At the same time, London's Paul Stolper Gallery collaborated with the renowned fine art printmakers, Coriander Studio, to publish a new portfolio of prints and the accompanying book, Peter Blake: An Alphabet.
Since the 1950s Blake has maintained a deep interest in the letters of the alphabet. This exquisitely fashioned volume reproduces all 26 of the new prints--one for each letter of the alphabet. Each visual interpretation is a collage of images from vintage cards, magazines and books, and the finished works are at once nostalgic and whimsical, humorous and fascinating. This spectacular abecedarium celebrates the interest, from childhood onwards, that we all share in letters and words. With an interview by the renowned art writer Mel Gooding and a specially designed cover by the artist, it is required reading for all Peter Blake fans. |
