Saturday 27th February until Saturday 27th March 2010 @ Innocent Fine Art, Bristol

The record cover for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is an iconic image that sums up the spirit of Britain in the 1960s. The picture, designed by Peter Blake and his wife Jann Haworth, is placed in the window of the small exhibition currently showing at Innocent Fine Art in Clifton. The cover is now cherished as an emblem of British culture and is the work that helped Peter Blake to become the legendary national treasure that he is today.

In 1961, Blake’s work was exhibited alongside that of David Hockney in ‘Young Contemporaries’ and this helped to mark him out as part of the Pop Art movement. He took inspiration from popular culture in London’s swinging 60s as well as from celebrities of the age such as Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe. In his work Marilyn, he places three photos of the sex symbol above bright, bold colours that allude to the contemporary abstract art movement of the day. His works often incorporate collage and memorabilia taken from everyday life.

The works on display in this exhibition span from his earlier works to more recent pictures that include his Ian Dury album cover, All New Boots And Panties. To this day, he continues to produce a great deal of important works and the National Gallery exhibition, Now We Are 64 of 1996 is a testament to his success and his position in this country as one of the most prolific living artists. The exhibition is one not to be missed, primarily because Blake’s works are punchy and fun. It is easy to see why he is heralded as a key figure in British art; his works are a celebration of culture and a visual record of the spirit of an age of colour and new-found freedom.

www.innocentfineart.co.uk

Daisy Allsup