Grietje M. Hoogland

One of the greatest Pop artists of Great Britain is presented at Wetterling Gallery, Stockholm, from February 9^th until march 24^th. Peter Blake, best known for his album cover design for The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, will be exhibiting his latest work there, which mainly exists of – as the title shows – collage work.

At the exhibition site different forms of collage are shown. One of those are the two-dimensional collages, which go by the title “The Butterfly Man (followed by another city name each)” and vaguely remind of the Sgt. Pepper’s album I mentioned. These art works contain all kinds of references on art, history and pop culture that have nothing in common, which is one of the characteristics of Pop Art. The other collage form is the kind that is made out of objects. They are framed, so you cannot see them as entirely three-dimensional objects, but more as two-dimensional collages with relief. The objects that Blake used vary; it can be anything, a stone, a wooden object, a piece of rope, a little doll. Although they have nothing in common, they remind me of the treasures of a young boy. These objects, I can imagine, are probably the result when you turn the pockets of a 10-year old inside out. It is as qualitatively well made as it is touching.

Also a characteristic of Pop Art is the copying of other artists, and openly referring to them. The “After Sonia Delaunay” series is very good: the images are strong and well composed. But humor can be found in the art works “Borrowing from Jack Pierson” and “Copying Jack Pierson”, which refer to well-known art works of Jack Pierson in a way that is both obvious and blunt, and therefore funny. It is Pop Art at its best.

“Blake’s Artists and Other Collages”
Wetterling Gallery 9-2 / 24-3
Kungsträdgården 3, Stockholm