Pop Art Royalty
Sir Peter Blake is best known for his cover art on The Beatles’ 1967 album, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band. Interestingly, his favourite recording of Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood was produced by the very same producer of that Beatles album, George Martin. Blake listened to the recording, featuring the voice of Welsh actor Sir Anthony Hopkins, at least twice a week while creating his secret project.
BBC Wales documented the last stages of Peter Blake’s project and the run up to the National Museum of Wales’ exhibition, the programme is available on BBC iPlayer.
Blake will also be releasing a book of his Dylan Thomas inspired works.
“Under Milk Wood has rarely been illustrated and there is certainly nobody who’s come close to the time and effort that Blake has put into illustrating the play,” says curator of the exhibition, Beth McIntyre. The Museum of Wales feels proud and privileged to be showing Blake’s work.
Blake will also be giving a special evening lecture at the museum on December 4, discussing his work and life-long love affair with the play.
Blake’s exhibition marks the first event in a year long celebration commemorating the centenary of Dylan Thomas’ birth.
Influential British pop-artist, Sir Peter Blake, has uncovered a project twenty eight years in the making at the National Museum of Wales.
Blake, known for his work on The Beatles‘ album, Sgt Pepper,has produced 170 visual interpretations of the Dylan Thomas play, Under Milk Wood.
The exhibition, starting from November 23, is entitled Llareggub: Peter Blake illustrates Dylan Thomas’s Under Milk Wood and will finally expose the world to the artist’s secret passion.
“There’s a Peter Blake who’s a painter and a Peter Blake who does illustrations,” Blake says. The exhibition shows a range of illustration, painting and his iconic use of collage.
Blake was first introduced to Dylan Thomas’ play by Welsh students when he studied at the Royal College of Art, London.
Pop Art Royalty
Sir Peter Blake is best known for his cover art on The Beatles’ 1967 album, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band. Interestingly, his favourite recording of Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood was produced by the very same producer of that Beatles album, George Martin. Blake listened to the recording, featuring the voice of Welsh actor Sir Anthony Hopkins, at least twice a week while creating his secret project.
BBC Wales documented the last stages of Peter Blake’s project and the run up to the National Museum of Wales’ exhibition, the programme is available on BBC iPlayer.
Blake will also be releasing a book of his Dylan Thomas inspired works.
“Under Milk Wood has rarely been illustrated and there is certainly nobody who’s come close to the time and effort that Blake has put into illustrating the play,” says curator of the exhibition, Beth McIntyre. The Museum of Wales feels proud and privileged to be showing Blake’s work.
Blake will also be giving a special evening lecture at the museum on December 4, discussing his work and life-long love affair with the play.
Blake’s exhibition marks the first event in a year long celebration commemorating the centenary of Dylan Thomas’ birth.