Paperwork ─ Peter Clark

Peter Clark’s collage’s start with a scavenger trip to antiques fairs, flea markets and second hand stores to find the right objects to inspire his works. His most recognized pieces are the series of Dogs, from Spaniels to Bulldogs, and Clothes, from a dress out of old Ordnance Survey maps to a Hell’s Angels jacket made of old bible and prayers books.

Paperwork presents the working methods of this eccentric and unique artist, showing the progression of these pieces from found ephemera and paper to pieces of art. Clark starts each piece with a number of sketches, he then uses a variety of techniques to manipulate the materials and works with a palette of color, texture, weight, pattern and age to create his three-dimensional collages. The materials have to be positioned so that the colors work, the line works and the mood works and slowly the collage is ?painted’.

Accompanied by a background story to his work and beautifully illustrated with full-page prints, this book shows an insight into Peter Clark’s career, from his early works to his more recent collages. Paperwork is the perfect gift for anyone with an interest in collage or found objects and now out in paperback at a lower price point.

Matthew Sturgis is the author of acclaimed biographies of Aubrey Beardsley and Walter Sickert, has given lectures at Tate Britain, the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, and the Scottish National Gallery, amongst other places. He writes regularly for the Daily Telegraph, TLS, Country Life and the Burlington Magazine.