Peter Blake: Pop Artist

 The British born Peter Blake became a big presence in the Pop Art movement after his work was Young Contemporaries exhibit that included R.B.Kitaj and Davis Hockney. He was an art student at the Gravesend School of Art from 1948 to 1951. He continued his studies at the Royal College of Ar, where he became an instructor in 1964 continuing until 1976. 

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shown in the 1961

Blake was a Pop Artist that gained public interest when Ken Russell spotlighted him in the documentary Pop Goes the Easel. His creation On the Balcony took 2 years to complete; he finished it in 1957. It is an iconical piece that displays his penchant for creating art that utilizes popular symbols and fine art. Though it is a painting, the work gives the illusion of being a collage. This work makes reference to Manet's The Balcony and in 1961 he created The First Real Target, which hints at work by Jasper Johns and Kenneth Noland.

His artwork became more popular during the nineteen-sixties. Blake designed the album cover for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band; this album by The Beatles came out in 1967. He also created artwork for Band Aid, Paul Weller, The Who, and Ian Dury.

During 1969, he resided at Bath and created work based on British folktales and Shakespearean characters. He painted a series of watercolors as illustrations for Alice in Wonderland.  In 1975, he helped to establish the Brotherhood of Ruralists.

 Blake utilized icons from ads, entertainment, and comic books. His versatility enabled him to work in different media; he produced work in sculpture, printmaking, collage, graphics, and engraving.

In 1981, he was dubbed as a Royal Academician, and he was knighted in 2002.


Pop Art Movement

Pop Art Movement

Pop Art had its own particular focus, which was the contemporary culture, zeroing in on mass media, and advertising. Teenage fashions, popular music, and comic books were part of the 1950's pop art movement, and this continued through the 1960's, wherein, the youth movement and culture became more dominant in society.

It began in England with the Independent Group; these artists attended the Institute of Contemporary Art of  London. The pop artists didn't relate to the art establishment. The art they were interested in belonged to mass culture. Discourse amongst the artists in the Independent Group originated the phrase Propaganda Art.

The styles and ideas of the mass media were employed by pop artists. They dissented from the art

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vocabulary associated with abstract art. They embraced icons and images in the popular culture and portrayed these in their art, moving away from the esoteric ideas and the superior high and low art attitudes of established art circles.

This art movement popped up in the United States in the 1960's. On this side of the pond, Pop Art was imbued with the upbeat attitude of the 1960's, especially from the beginning until the middle sixties, a more optimistic concept of life pervaded the U.S.A. in popular culture such as the portrayal of American life on TV and in the movies.

Pop Art: Characteristics

These are the attributes of Pop Art: It used advertising images, Hollywood stars, comic book characters, and other mass media subjects to produce art. The work was flat and used vivid colors,  clean lines, parody, and sharp edged painting that defined the style.

Pop artists created record covers and ads for rock bands. This movement was all about consumerism, modern symbols, and urban influence.

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Creating a New Year of Creations

What are all of you artists going to create this year? Hopefully, you have already begun your new creative year. if not, and you are a little behind, make plans for a series or a least one new piece of work and get going.

I have an oval canvas that I'm going to tackle; I've been thinking of the best way to make use of its shape
to design an interesting painting. oh, the possibilities. Well, on your mark, get set, and create many paintings, drawings, pieces of sculpture etc...feel the inspiration in the air and do it.

Mobile Museum of Art

The Mobile Museum of Art currently has the James Audubon Maritime Heritage, and the Projections and Reflections shows still going on until 1/8/12.  

The shows slated for the next few months are The American Society of Marine Artists 15th National Exhibition (1/20/12 to 4/8/12), Facing South: Portraits of A Southern Artist by Jerry Siegel (1/13/12 to 4/1/12}, Boxes and Their Makers (4/6/12 to 7/1/12), and The Heart of Echizen: Wood-Fired Works by Contemporary Masters (4/13/12 to 7/28/12).

As usual the museum has great art and in different mediums to delight the art lover. If you drop by and indulge yourself, you 'll enjoy your visit.