ART & ARTISTS: Patrick Caulfield

Sunday, 22 July 2012

Patrick Caulfield - part 3

Patrick Caulfield (1936 – 2005) was a British painter and printmaker whose pictures combine simple graphics with a naive pictorial style in which personal, social, political and artistic images meet.

This is part 3 of a 4-part post on the works of Patrick Caulfield. Parts 1 - 3 feature Caulfield's work chronologically. Part 4 features his 1973 silkscreen print series Some Poems of Jules Laforgue. For biographical notes on Caulfield see part 1.

1978 Sausage
screenprint on paper 74.6 x 91.4 cm
© Patrick Caulfield 2001. All rights reserved, DACS. Estate of Patrick Caulfield 2005

1978 Three Sausages
screenprint on paper 53.3 x 71.1 cm
© Patrick Caulfield 2001. All rights reserved, DACS. Estate of Patrick Caulfield 2005

1979 Bowl and Fruit
screenprint on paper 83.8 x 59.7 cm
© Patrick Caulfield 2001. All rights reserved, DACS. Estate of Patrick Caulfield 2005

1979 Plant Pot
screenprint on paper 83.8 x 59.7 cm
© Patrick Caulfield 2001. All rights reserved, DACS. Estate of Patrick Caulfield 2005

1981 Grey Pipe
screenprint on paper 48.8 x 51.3 cm
© Patrick Caulfield 2001. All rights reserved, DACS. Estate of Patrick Caulfield 2005

1981-82 Pink Jug
screenprint on paper 76.1 x 59.7 cm
© Patrick Caulfield 2001. All rights reserved, DACS. Estate of Patrick Caulfield 2005

1984 Fish and Sandwich
acrylic on canvas 76.2 x 111.8 cm
© 2012 Saatchi Gallery
© Patrick Caulfield 2001. All rights reserved, DACS. Estate of Patrick Caulfield 2005

1985 Lunchtime
acrylic on canvas 206 x 244 cm
© 2012 Saatchi Gallery
© Patrick Caulfield 2001. All rights reserved, DACS. Estate of Patrick Caulfield 2005

1985-86 Interior with a Picture
acrylic on canvas 205.8 x 244.2 cm
© Patrick Caulfield 2001. All rights reserved, DACS. Estate of Patrick Caulfield 2005

1987 Glass of Whiskey
acrylic on canvas 76 x 112 cm
© 2012 Saatchi Gallery
© Patrick Caulfield 2001. All rights reserved, DACS. Estate of Patrick Caulfield 2005

1988 Grill
acrylic on canvas 122.6 x 91.9 cm
© Patrick Caulfield 2001. All rights reserved, DACS. Estate of Patrick Caulfield 2005

1990 Arita Flask
screenprint on paper 107.2 x 81.1 cm
© Patrick Caulfield 2001. All rights reserved, DACS. Estate of Patrick Caulfield 2005

1990 Lamp and Lung Ch'uan Ware
screenprint on paper 79.4 x 53.3 cm
© Patrick Caulfield 2001. All rights reserved, DACS. Estate of Patrick Caulfield 2005

1990 Large White Jug
screenprint on paper 107.2 x 81.1 cm
© Patrick Caulfield 2001. All rights reserved, DACS. Estate of Patrick Caulfield 2005

1990 Lung Ch'uan Ware and Black Lamp
screenprint on paper 79.4 x 53.3 cm
© Patrick Caulfield 2001. All rights reserved, DACS. Estate of Patrick Caulfield 2005

1990 Lung Ch'uan Ware and Window
screenprint on paper 79.4 x 53.3 cm
© Patrick Caulfield 2001. All rights reserved, DACS. Estate of Patrick Caulfield 2005

1990 Sue Ware Jar
screenprint on paper 79.4 x 53.3 cm
© The estate of Patrick Caulfield. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2002

1991 Design for Manchester Carpet
acrylic on board 43.7 x 43.7 cm
© Patrick Caulfield 2001. All rights reserved, DACS. Estate of Patrick Caulfield 2005

In May 1991 Patrick Caulfield was commissioned to design a carpet for the atrium floor of the British Council's Northern Headquarters in Medlock Street, Manchester. The brief to the artist outlined the concept: “The carpet is intended to make a bold statement about the British Council. We want it in some way to express our role as the principal British agent for overseas cultural relations. We are keener to focus on what we do rather than on the places we do it.”

The finished design, one metre square acrylic on paper, was delivered in June. Huega (UK) Ltd - already contracted to supply the main carpeting - were so impressed with it that they undertook to manufacture and install the carpet at their own expense.

It was decided to use synthetic yarns developed by ICI, machine tufted then cut by laser. Once the yarns were woven, the artwork was computer scanned. The computer then divided the design into 25 equal sections, each containing 16 carpet tiles, in a proportion that allowed them to fit on the laser bed for cutting. The laser beam, guided by the computer, cut each colour individually - a technique which gave extremely clear definition. Once the cutting was completed, the pieces were re-made into tiles. The finished carpet comprised 2000 tiles and measured 12 x 12 metres.

Caulfield wrote of the work that 'The following are not reasons for the design but merely associated ideas. The image remains to be interpreted as one will. The overall form of the design has a Celtic-inspired starting point (i.e. British).