Pitzhanger plays Pop later this year, when it opens an exhibition devoted to the life and work of Sir Peter Blake, one of the most influential figures in 20th-century British art.
Peter Blake in his studio, 2021. Photo: Jonathan Donovan. Artworks (c) Peter Blake. Courtesy: Waddington Custot Galleries, London, Paris, Dubai.
Over a career spanning more than seven decades, Blake has become closely associated with British Pop Art through his paintings, collages, prints and album designs.
Blake first rose to prominence in the early 1960s, exhibiting alongside artists including David Hockney and appearing in Ken Russell’s BBC programme Pop Goes the Easel, which helped introduce Pop Art to a wider audience. During the 1960s, he and his then wife Jann Howarth co-created the album cover for The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, one of the most recognisable images of the era.
His long association with west London is also reflected in the exhibition. Blake moved to Chiswick in 1957, later spending a decade in Somerset before returning to Chiswick in 1979, where he still lives.
Although the exhibition at Pitzhanger Manor will display decades of his artwork, at its heart will be a recreation of his West London workspace, offering a rare glimpse into his working environment. Local cultural links will feature in the display, including references to Ealing’s music and film heritage — from early performances by bands such as The Rolling Stones and The Who at The Ealing Club to the legacy of Ealing Studios.
Blake’s role as a collector and enthusiast will also form part of the narrative.
Rebecca Lyons, Director of Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery, said the exhibition would celebrate an artist whose work is “full of art historical and pop references”, describing it as both a showcase of artistic inspiration and a tribute to one of Britain’s most recognisable contemporary artists.
The exhibition, Peter Blake: In the Studio, opens this November at Pitzhanger Manor in Ealing Broadway.
Tickets will go on sale shortly from here.