Fedrigoni UK and Praline collaborate on new monograph for iconic British Pop artist

Published on: June 10, 2021

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Leading manufacturer Fedrigoni Paper, and design studio Praline, are excited to announce their creative collaboration on Peter Blake: Collage, a major new monograph dedicated to the iconic British Pop artist’s groundbreaking exploration of collage. Using 30 different typefaces and colours sampled from Blake’s work, Praline mirrored the eclectic nature of Peter Blake’s work in their design, elevated through a broad range of Fedrigoni materials.

Published by Thames & Hudson, in association with Waddington Custot, Peter Blake: Collage includes a foreword by Blake’s art school friend David Hockney, and combines an illuminating essay, artist interview and numerous colour images that embody the spirit of the octogenarian artist’s decades-long career and his significant contribution to this historic medium.

To engage a broad range of audiences, the publication disrupts the typical exhibition catalogue through a thematic, rather than chronological, structure, serving to mirror the miscellaneous nature of collage and platform recurrent threads throughout Blake’s career. Praline captured this assorted structure by either designing, customising or sourcing over 30 typefaces, across each of the monograph’s unique sections, inspired by the artist’s own love of typography and his own library of references. The team took a graphic approach to reflect Blake’s appreciation of simple geometric shapes, using a vibrant colour palette of red, blue, green and yellow, colours that are prevalent across the artist’s work.

New photography was commissioned for the monograph to shine a light on Blake’s Chiswick studio, where the artist has amassed and arranged over 50,000 items with exacting precision, including a fleet of model ships and a dresser piled high with hats for all occasions. The photography serves as a visual walk through of the studio, provided in five, 8 page sections, sequenced throughout the book, reminding the reader of Blake’s creative process.

Designing in isolation from their normal studio environment, Praline was separated from their usual library of material references. The team partnered with Fedrigoni UK, who sent the design team their Paper Box, which houses the entire Fedrigoni range of papers in a single, iconic, black box. Embracing this elegant but practical resource as their only reference point, Praline chose 7 different Fedrigoni materials for the publication, offering a textural diversity that echoes the collage form.

“Fedrigoni papers were selected for their versatile ability to elevate creative work. Our Tintoretto Gesso, for example, was used for the interview section of the book and for colour breaks, printed full bleed and dispersed throughout in the form of section wraps. Symbol Freelife Gloss, on the other hand, has the power to emphasise and intensify photography through its glossy finish, so was chosen for the imagery of Blake’s studio. The result is a multi-layered publication which truly captures the spirit of Blake’s work.”

Ian Braithwaite, Commercial Manager at Fedrigoni UK

“Together with the Waddington Custot team and editor, Clare Preston, we aimed to push the design and production of this publication so that the outcome shares a measure of Peter’s creative playfulness, his love of colour and lettering. In doing so, we hope the book is a rewarding reading experience for Peter’s ever growing fanbase, and immerses new audiences in his fascinating world.”

David Tanguy, Founder and Creative Director at Praline

The publication of Peter Blake: Collage will coincide with the opening of a new solo survey exhibition at Waddington Custot in London, Peter Blake: Time Traveller, which includes a number of important museum loans.