G’day Expat Choicers! It’s wonderful to be here. It’s certainly a thrill… Beatles lovers, this one’s for you! May we introduce to you, the act you’ve known for all these years, Sir Peter Blake.
Sir Peter Thomas Blake (born 25 June 1932) is an English pop artist known for co-creating (with his then-wife, Jann Haworth) the sleeve design for The Beatles’ 1967 album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The Sgt. Pepper’s sleeve has since become iconic pop art, much imitated and Blake’s most famous work.
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Sgt Pepper in 2007, Sir Peter Blake and Apple Corps Ltd agreed to make the album artwork available for art lovers and collectors.
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by The Beatles. Released on 26 May 1967, it spent 27 weeks at number one on the Record Retailer chart in the United Kingdom and 15 weeks at number one on the Billboard Top LPs chart in the United States.
It was lauded by critics for its innovations in songwriting, production and graphic design, bridging a cultural divide between popular music and high art and reflecting the interests of contemporary youth and the counterculture. Its release was a defining moment in 1960s pop culture, heralding the Summer of Love. At the same time, the album’s reception achieved full cultural legitimisation for pop music and recognition for the medium as a genuine art form (source Wikipedia).
Blake's other most known works include the covers for two of The Who’s albums, the cover of the Band Aid single “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” and the Live Aid concert poster. Blake also designed the 2012 Brit Awards statuette.
In 2002 he was knighted at Buckingham Palace for his services to art.
“You simply can’t make art without having that history of art behind you, and I think if you asked any artist, they would always say they had learned from previous art. Perhaps I show that more than most in that I often appropriate art and quote from it.”
~ Sir Peter Blake
Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
“Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, 24 colour silkscreen on 410gsm Somerset archival paper, embossed logo of The Beatles’ record label (Apple Records), 2007
Like what you see? You know the drill, send us a postcard, drop us a line at [email protected] or [email protected] stating point of view. Indicate precisely what you mean to say, yours sincerely... ok, forget it.
Want to try Sgt Pepper’s on for wall size before you buy? Check out our Apptastic See It On Your Wall.
You’re such a lovely audience, we’d like to take you home with us...
Blair & El xoxo
