According to the esteemed art historian and Pop art expert Marco Livingstone, Sir Peter Blake “has the reputation of working at a very measured, at times even comically slow, pace.” All the more astonishing, therefore, that such a large amount—well over half—of the paintings in his extensive exhibition Portraits and People (until 30 January 2016) at Waddington Custot Galleries were made by the 83-year-old-artist just this year.
Surrounded by adoring fans—including Mr. Livingstone—at the opening party last night (23 November), the famously modest Sir P admitted that he had “been busy” and that the new works were just a proportion of his 2015 output, which also includes several series of prints. Unlike most artists, he is also prepared to submit his unfinished works for public scrutiny, with a number of pieces—including a striking trio of boxers in full fight—labeled as “work in progress.”
“I like to put a few in that I am still working on”, Sir Peter said. And as it can sometimes take years—even decades—to complete a piece. These carefully chosen works-in-progress often make repeated sorties out of the studio, with Sir Peter telling me that a 1970s painting of Titania made at least six public outings before he deemed it completed. It is rare to be given such an insight into an artist’s working practice and I will be watching out for his progress on the boxing trio with keen interest.
