Craigie's Canary. Peter Blake. Etching with hand-coloured chine collé. Image size: 29.5 x 24.5 cm. Paper size: 46 x 38 cm. Edition size: 50. Launch price: £895. Craigie’s Canary is a celebration of British artist Craigie Aitchison’s (1926-2009) life and work as well as a tribute from his friend and admirer Peter Blake. This hand-painted etching’s minimalism is an echo of Aitchison’s precise and simple compositions, its splash of colour reminiscent of the jewel-bright colours Aitchison loved to use. Aitchison kept canaries, they would fly about in his studio; as well as being a recurring motif throughout his work, the canary is a symbol of joy, illumination and innocence- and here it represents Craigie himself; a touching tribute to a dear friend.
