Overview
Peter Clark is a British collage artist based in London, originally from Yorkshire. He held senior artistic positions at major television production houses and focused on television and advertising for most his career. However, in 1999, he began making commissioned collages. This is now his full-time occupation (EIL, nd).
Artist’s statement:
“I create in collage everything from maps, labels, and discarded tickets to garments crafted from gift wrapping, musical scores, and love letters. My objective is to turn ordinary printed matter into exquisite works of art with character, beauty, and wit” (EIL, nd).
Works
His website c. 2017, while his most recent work appears on his Instagram account, and various gallery and exhibition sites.
The works certainly have wit and a an entrancing and eye-catching quirkiness. The strategic placement of papers and words is often the source of this wit. This road-runner has ‘tyres’.
Road-Runner
Here the boxing rabbits are made of boxing men, with a tiny cut-out referee:
Float Like A Butterfly Sting Like A Bee, 2019
His main subjects are beasts, especially dogs. He also makes costumes and the occasional person. All have a certain whimsy.
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As a study in ‘drawing’ with collage, the pug below, in black and white, allows me to see the expert application of dark and light, and shadow, to analyse his technique. Awe-inspiring.
Pug n’ Pears, 2016
References
Clark, P. (nd). Cool Black,
Viewed: http://www.peterclarkcollage.com/pages/garments2.html, 29 August, 2020
Clark, P. (2019). Float Like A Butterfly Sting Like A Bee,
Viewed: https://www.instagram.com/p/CCAwZvmnI6V/, 29 August, 2020
Clark, P. (2016) Pug n’ Pears,
Viewed: https://www.instagram.com/p/BqMe9apjCjU/, 8 September, 2020
Clark, P. (nd) road-runner,
Viewed: http://www.peterclarkcollage.com/pages/beasts3.html, 29 August, 2020
Clark, P. (nd) starry-eyed,
Viewed: http://www.peterclarkcollage.com/pages/other.html, 29 August, 2020
EIL (Escape-Into-Life). (nd) Peter Clark,
Viewed: https://www.escapeintolife.com/artist-watch/peter-clark/, 8 September, 2020
Kathryn Kerr 