Peter Blake; Rock, Paper, Scissors

The Comic Book Convention comes to London, 2012, Peter Blake
Courtesy of Waddington Custot Galleries, London

JournalArt & Culture

Peter Blake; Rock, Paper, Scissors

New work shows plenty of life left in art icon...

We’re not sure which must be more exhausting – being Peter Blake or curating a retrospective of his work. Spanning six decades, the multi-disciplinary art of Blake is so diverse in style that it’s hard to believe the same person is responsible. Making sense of it all falls to Waddington Custot Galleries in their retrospective Rock, Paper, Scissors, which also features a host of new Blake creations in typically varied forms.

A series of ten London collage scenes are invaded by unlikely interlopers in the Scissors portion of this exhibition, finished this year. The world of superheroes and animation gets a re-draft as the usual audience of fanboys and geeks (*ducks behind a chair*) is replaced by the characters themselves in The Comic Book Convention comes to London, the zoo inhabitants run amok in Animalia, while an ethnically-mixed cast of thousands makes up Women.

At the other end of the spectrum, in Rock: Army and Generals I-IV sees Blake as sculptor, using blocks of stained wood and bowling balls to form his military figures, the latter featuring unlikely medals and grander legs than the infantry. He’s also been turning collector as well, transforming discoveries into new works in his mini-series Found.

The exhibition runs from 21st November to 15th December at the Cork Street venue. Allow yourself plenty of time to take it all in.

Peter Blake; Rock, Paper, Scissors

Women, 2012, Peter Blake
Courtesy of Waddington Custot Galleries, London

Peter Blake; Rock, Paper, Scissors

Swiss Chalet: A Lone Bagpiper Confronts Snow White and her 30 Dwarves,
2012, Peter Blake
Courtesy of Waddington Custot Galleries, London

Peter Blake; Rock, Paper, Scissors

Tarzan Box, c. 1965, Peter Blake
Courtesy of Waddington Custot Galleries, London

Peter Blake; Rock, Paper, Scissors

Animalia, 2012, Peter Blake
Courtesy of Waddington Custot Galleries, London

Peter Blake; Rock, Paper, Scissors

Army, 2012, Peter Blake
Courtesy of Waddington Custot Galleries, London

Peter Blake; Rock, Paper, Scissors

Found Sculptures I-II, 2012, Peter Blake
Courtesy of Waddington Custot Galleries, London