Britart’s grandad takes a trip to the other side.

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Bearded British Pop Art pioneer, Peter Blake, found worldwide fame when he stuck together cut-outs of famous faces and photographed the Beatles in front of them, for their 1967 album cover Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Focusing on Blake’s commercial output rather than his fine art, this show takes an edited trip through his career, from a pen-and-ink drawing for a calendar in 1946 to text-based graphics created last year. In between, there are Sunday supplement covers, painted book jackets, ads, posters, simple but bold graphics for various calendars, and album cover artwork, including Paul Weller’s Stanley Road.

Blake’s clever use of text is obvious. So is his cunning mix of original and appropriated imagery, and his skilful eye for design. But what also comes across here unexpectedly is his dry sense of humour – perhaps all of which illustrates why, even at the age of 71, he’s still one of contemporary art’s major players. Helen Sumpter 08 Aug 03

Peter Blake - Commercial Art is at the London Institute Gallery, 65 Davies Street, London until 11 Sept 03. Admission free.

useful link: www.linst.ac.uk