Peter Blake (1930)

Painter, born in Dartford, Kent. He studied at Gravesend Technical College and School of Art, 1946-51 and entered RCA in 1950. This period of study was interrupted by National Service and he returned to the RCA, 1953-56. In his early work he excelled at creating the world of childhood in a series of works which paid detailed attention to ephemera: comics, badges, cigarette cards and packets. Between 1956-57 he travelled in Holland, Belgium, France, Italy and Spain on a Leverhulme research award studying popular art. In 1959 his collector's instinct found outlet in the collages and reliefs he began making, many of them using kitsch items, pop stars or other aspects of popular culture. He is arguably the doyen of British Pop Art. During its late 1950's and mis-1960's heydey he taught at Walthamstow School of Art and his very presence stimulated students in the Pop Art/Punk era.In 1963 he married the painter Jann Haworth and with her becam