Sir Peter Blake presents his illustrations of Under Milk Wood (1953) at Oriel y Parc in St Davids, Pembrokeshire from 17 May to 23 September 2014.
This major body of work is the culmination of a 25-year project and he show includes portraits of each of the characters in the cast, watercolours of the dream sequences and collages and paintings of scenes and locations in the fictional village of Llareggub.
Blake’s illustration of Dylan Thomas’s ‘play for voices’ is one of his longest ongoing projects. He continues to illustrate characters, dreams, scenes and locations.
A longtime admirer of Dylan Thomas, the artist has always been fascinated by the radio play and remembers first hearing Under Milk Wood while at the Royal College.
The exhibition features portraits drawn in black and white pencil on tinted paper, watercolours illustrating the dream sequences in the play, ‘narratives and locations’ in a mix of media including collage, and photographs that Blake took himself in Laugharne in the 1970s.
Peter Blake emerged as a key figure of the Pop Art movement of the late 1950s and his early paintings include imagery from advertisements, music hall, entertainment, and wrestlers, often including collaged elements.Throughout his career he has engaged with popular culture and especially the music industry.
As part of Dylan Thomas 100 (DT100), a year celebrating one hundred years since the birth of Dylan Thomas. Oriel y Parc is managed by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority. Its main gallery is managed in partnership with Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales, featuring a rolling programme of exhibitions with treasures from the national collection.
