Patrick Caulfield R.A. 1936-2005

What makes art collectable? Is it the skill of the artists? Or is it the buyers who flock to collect? Or maybe the art scholars who say that paintings and prints are a good investment. Whatever the answer, paintings and prints have been an international passion for so many people for over 500 years. Is there an image that has not been painted? I don't think so, but certain artists have a style of interpreting the way we see their works and for me Patrick Caulfield epitomises this with his striking silkscreen prints and bold outlines.

Born in 1936, he went to study art at the Chelsea School of Art from 1956 till 1960 moving on in 1960 to the prestigious London Royal College of Art until 1963 only to return to Chelsea to teach art from 1963 till 1971. Can you imagine being at Chelsea Art School in 1963 and your teacher is... Patrick Caulfield!

Patrick's first exhibition in 1965 was held at the Friar gallery in London, it was an instant hit and his international reputation was very quickly established and numerous one man exhibitions held throughout the world. His paintings and prints are now held in many public and private collections. In may 1993 Patrick Caulfield became a member of the Royal Academy.

It was not until 1964 that Caulfield started to experiment with printmaking beginning with a silkscreen print called Ruins. A striking image that set a standard in his bold style, taking everyday objects in their environment. To me it is like an old fashion still life but with new life injected by Patrick Caulfield's sometimes simple lines outlined in black. His inspirations and influences possibly drawn from some of the greatest modern artist of the 20th century such as Edward Hopper, Rothko, Pollock and more so, Roy Liechtenstein.

Ruins was exhibited at the ICA Rooms in Dover street London in November 1964 and was chosen by the British Council to represent Britain in the 4th Paris Biennale in the following year and won the unofficial Prix des Jeunes Artistes award.

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