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.
ABOUT HIVE
The Hive Gallery is a new contemporary gallery situated within Elsecar Heritage Centre in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. It features a diverse rolling programme of contemporary visual art. The HIVE programme ranges from supporting emerging contemporary artists to exhibiting the work of nationally and internationally known artists.
HIVE is part of a gallery and studio project created by Creative Barnsley, a social enterprise which aims to network and promote the creative sector in Barnsley and South Yorkshire. We have received invaluable support and funding from Creative Exchange: South Yorkshire which works in partnership with communities and the Creative and Digital Industries to build the creative economy in South Yorkshire and beyond. Visit www.creativebarnsley.co.uk to find out more. |
