Four Man Up

By: Sir Peter Blake

Following the massive success of the Venice Suite, CCA are delighted to announce the release of the Paris Quartet: Eiffel Tower, Four Man Up, Birds,and Dancing, Place de la Concorde. In the same whimsical and comedic style in which Blake evoked the canals of Venice, he now guides us through the city of light. Blake again creates his compositions through collage, running the full gamut from the delicate sentimentality of Eiffel Tower to the joyously absurd sight of the Opera Garnier under the weight of an ornithological overload in Birds. Blake once again finds inspiration in the pages of his Larousse illustrated dictionary and animal husbandry manuals; juxtaposing the best of Parisian architecture with an eclectic selection of human figures from every conceivable ethnographical background and beautiful illustrations bird and beast.

Four Man Up shows a huge crowd of people in front of one of the great architctural gems of Paris: the Grand Palais. Blake has created a surreal circus scene in which a group of four ethnographically diverse figures (including a red indian, African tribesman and eastern european) balance atop a horse. Hordes of people are gathered around to witness the spectacle. Blake's sense of humour shines through by making the witnesses of this extraordinary scene a very serious historical bunch indeed. In the background further comedy is added by the eclectic addition of some red indians on horseback, a couple of rugby players, and some school girls.

Though these images are packed full of unexpected and out of place content, Blake somehow captures the essence of Paris; that joie de vivre and spirit of bohemisnism and surrealism that pervades the air.

Published: 2010
Image Size: 440 mm X 670 mm
Paper Size: 590 mm X 837 mm
Edition Size: 125