Sir Peter Blake

Sir Peter Blake was born in 1932 in Dartford. He studied at Gravesend Technical College and School of Art from 1946 to 1951 and he graduated from the Royal College of Art in 1956.  He served from 1951 – 53 in the Royal Air Force.

Sir Peter Blake is hailed as ‘the godfather of British Pop art’. His images come from his fascination and love affair with the icons and ephemera of popular culture. Blake’s pioneering images of the 1950’s and 1960’s have long been seen as iconic, not only within art history but as more popular recordings of the social preoccupations of that time. His influence on the music world can be summarised by the seminal cover art for the Beatle’s ‘Sergeant Pepper’ album.

He taught at St Martin’s School of Art and Royal Collage of Art in London. In 1969 Blake became a ‘Ruralist’ and left the city for the countryside where he founded ‘The Brotherhood of Ruralists’. He now works from his studio in London and maintains a prolific output of work.