New artwork from Sir Peter Blake features characters in Blackpool’s Tower Ballroom.
The final work in Sir Peter Blake’s Marcel Duchamp Blackpool trilogy features a host of famous characters from The Beano.
The new piece – confirmed by CCA Galleries – is entitled Marcel Duchamp’s World Tour: DC Thomson Reunion at The Tower Ballroom, Blackpool 2016.
Characters including Dennis and Gnasher, Minnie the Minx, Roger the Dodger, Desperate Dan, Lord Snooty and The Bash Street Kids among others are all featured in the piece, which is made using a combination of silkscreen and lithography.
In the early 2000s, Sir Peter Blake made a series of paintings under the title of Marcel Duchamp’s World Tour – the works of art centred on the idea of Marcel finding himself in unexpected situations, from playing chess with Tracey Emin to on a tour bus with The Spice Girls.
The Tower Ballroom prints are an extension of this, with Marcel hidden in each piece for the viewer to seek out.
Sir Peter commented: “I saw The Beano and Dandy as a child in the 1940s and the characters stayed in my memory, especially Lord Snooty and the gang. I thought it would be nice for Marcel Duchamp to meet the characters and all my chums from DC Thomson.”
Editor in chief of The Beano, Michael Stirling, added: “It’s enchanting to witness generations of our most beloved characters enjoying themselves in the iconic Blackpool Tower Ballroom.
“Millions of our Holiday Special editions have been enjoyed in Blackpool – it’s a treat I remember receiving there myself – so it’s a perfect location for the massive reunion party Sir Peter has imagined.”
