For Frieze Masters 2017, Waddington Custot presented a tribute to Peter Blake by recreating a section of his West London studio within their booth at the fair. Incorporating papers, books, ephemera and miscellaneous objects drawn from Blake’s own personal collection, interspersed with key works, the installation invited visitors to step into his private creative environment and explore the contrasting themes within his work.
We were commissioned to design a publication to accompany the presentation, and wanted to create a booklet that felt ephemeral, like a collection of papers picked up from Blake’s desk. For the cover and heading type, we used his distinctive handwriting; this was also printed onto tote bags, which were given away during the fair. The booklet is printed on newsprint, to reflect Blake’s enormous collection of printed ephemera and press clippings, and the body text within is set in Mercury, a typeface designed for use in newspapers. The brown cardboard cover that houses the booklet is held together with a paperclip, in the manner of an archival folder.
