Sir Peter Blake R.A. (British, born 1932) Ms Super, 1987
Sir Peter Blake R.A. (British, born 1932)
Ms Super, 1987
signed and dated 'Peter Blake. 1987.' (verso); further signed and dated 'Peter Blake. 1987' (on the backboard)
watercolour, gouache and ink on paper, with printed collage elements and a glitter prepared mount, laid down on board
44.8 x 29.5cm (17 5/8 x 11 5/8in).
'Every Tuesday evening, I went with my mother and Aunty Phyllis to a place called the Drill Hall to watch professional wrestling,' Blake recalled of his childhood. 'We would stand very close to the corner of the ring, in a packed smoky hall – and in the interval go into the municipal tearoom for a cup of tea and a cake.' A childlike fascination, and deep-rooted nostalgia for the world of stage wrestling is plain to see in Blake's subsequent series of portraits depicting, almost exclusively, imaginary wrestlers invented by Blake himself, with occasional works portraying real performers from the professional wrestling circuit. This series of works began in 1961 with Blake's portrait of the fictional Baron Adolf Kaiser and continued through the following decades, bringing more and more characters to life, with Ms Super in 1987, and ending with Blake's all-time favourite British wrestler, the mysterious Kendo Nagasaki in 1992. In these portraits Blake positions himself, and the viewer, in the role of the admiring fan, reverently gazing upon these larger-than-life characters, each having been afforded icon-like status by the artist. Though often smaller in size, these portraits are packed with personality. The magazine lettering, the bold and vibrant primary colours and glittering emerald background of Ms Super emphasise the genuine and unaffected wonder Blake feels towards the world of wrestling. Through his skilled use of watercolour, and the vivid colour palette of highly saturated blue, red, green, and yellow exploding from the surface of the work, the artist brings to life this enigmatic character. Ms Super is a part of the richly diverse universe that Blake has created over the years - and with each new character comes a fascinating and enthralling imagined backstory. Not only do we have the distinctive appearance of each wrestler, but through the titling and inclusion of small mementos and symbols such as flags, a richer picture of their origin begins to emerge. Included beneath Ms Super is an image of the Mexican flag, and together with the brilliant yellow Mexican wrestling mask, we are afforded some indication into Blake's conjuring of their imaginary past, and who they may be beneath the mask. Fantasy and imagination are at the centre of Blake's wrestling portraits, allowing him to explore a more performative side of his own character. His passion for the sport, the costumes, the drama, and the way that each match could quickly evolve into something more closely resembling pantomime. At the heart of it all is the clear demarcation of good vs evil, woven through each storyline; of hero vs villain, intensifying the drama and drawing the audience in further, adding to the theatre and the spectacle of the performance. Which side is Ms Super on? Blake's interest in the mythology of masked wrestling throughout this series of portraits stems from this question of identity. Who is the person behind the mask? Is it someone we know? Why are they hiding their identity? As someone notably introverted, it is perhaps no wonder that Blake found himself drawn to this idea.
Footnotes:
Provenance
With Waddington Galleries, London
With Galerie Claude Bernard, Paris, 2009, where acquired by
Frank and Lorna Dunphy Collection
Their sale; Sotheby's, London, Yellow Ball: The Frank and Lorna Dunphy Collection, 20 September 2018, lot 5002, where acquired by the present owner
Exhibited
Liverpool, Tate Liverpool, Peter Blake: A Retrospective, 29 June–23 September 2007, unnumbered
Literature
Christoph Grunenberg and Laurence Sillars (ed.), Peter Blake: A Retrospective, Tate Gallery Publications, London, 2007, p.172 (col.ill.)
This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: AR
AR Goods subject to Artists Resale Right Additional Premium.
Estimate
Reserve
Time, Location
Auction House
Sir Peter Blake R.A. (British, born 1932)
Ms Super, 1987
signed and dated 'Peter Blake. 1987.' (verso); further signed and dated 'Peter Blake. 1987' (on the backboard)
watercolour, gouache and ink on paper, with printed collage elements and a glitter prepared mount, laid down on board
44.8 x 29.5cm (17 5/8 x 11 5/8in).
'Every Tuesday evening, I went with my mother and Aunty Phyllis to a place called the Drill Hall to watch professional wrestling,' Blake recalled of his childhood. 'We would stand very close to the corner of the ring, in a packed smoky hall – and in the interval go into the municipal tearoom for a cup of tea and a cake.' A childlike fascination, and deep-rooted nostalgia for the world of stage wrestling is plain to see in Blake's subsequent series of portraits depicting, almost exclusively, imaginary wrestlers invented by Blake himself, with occasional works portraying real performers from the professional wrestling circuit. This series of works began in 1961 with Blake's portrait of the fictional Baron Adolf Kaiser and continued through the following decades, bringing more and more characters to life, with Ms Super in 1987, and ending with Blake's all-time favourite British wrestler, the mysterious Kendo Nagasaki in 1992. In these portraits Blake positions himself, and the viewer, in the role of the admiring fan, reverently gazing upon these larger-than-life characters, each having been afforded icon-like status by the artist. Though often smaller in size, these portraits are packed with personality. The magazine lettering, the bold and vibrant primary colours and glittering emerald background of Ms Super emphasise the genuine and unaffected wonder Blake feels towards the world of wrestling. Through his skilled use of watercolour, and the vivid colour palette of highly saturated blue, red, green, and yellow exploding from the surface of the work, the artist brings to life this enigmatic character. Ms Super is a part of the richly diverse universe that Blake has created over the years - and with each new character comes a fascinating and enthralling imagined backstory. Not only do we have the distinctive appearance of each wrestler, but through the titling and inclusion of small mementos and symbols such as flags, a richer picture of their origin begins to emerge. Included beneath Ms Super is an image of the Mexican flag, and together with the brilliant yellow Mexican wrestling mask, we are afforded some indication into Blake's conjuring of their imaginary past, and who they may be beneath the mask. Fantasy and imagination are at the centre of Blake's wrestling portraits, allowing him to explore a more performative side of his own character. His passion for the sport, the costumes, the drama, and the way that each match could quickly evolve into something more closely resembling pantomime. At the heart of it all is the clear demarcation of good vs evil, woven through each storyline; of hero vs villain, intensifying the drama and drawing the audience in further, adding to the theatre and the spectacle of the performance. Which side is Ms Super on? Blake's interest in the mythology of masked wrestling throughout this series of portraits stems from this question of identity. Who is the person behind the mask? Is it someone we know? Why are they hiding their identity? As someone notably introverted, it is perhaps no wonder that Blake found himself drawn to this idea.
Footnotes:
Provenance
With Waddington Galleries, London
With Galerie Claude Bernard, Paris, 2009, where acquired by
Frank and Lorna Dunphy Collection
Their sale; Sotheby's, London, Yellow Ball: The Frank and Lorna Dunphy Collection, 20 September 2018, lot 5002, where acquired by the present owner
Exhibited
Liverpool, Tate Liverpool, Peter Blake: A Retrospective, 29 June–23 September 2007, unnumbered
Literature
Christoph Grunenberg and Laurence Sillars (ed.), Peter Blake: A Retrospective, Tate Gallery Publications, London, 2007, p.172 (col.ill.)
This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: AR
AR Goods subject to Artists Resale Right Additional Premium.
Estimate
Reserve
Time, Location
Auction House
