Artist puts own stamp on crisis
Former teacher and pop art man Pete Mason has got Covid regulations mightily licked.
Pete, from Hednesford, is known for his huge masterpieces made out of postage stamps and based on the style of American pop artist Roy Lichtenstein.
The 77-year-old’s work is well known both here and in America and his latest work is five feet long and three feet high and is made up of 6,000 to 7,000 stamps.
A montage of portraits of people wearing masks are included in the artwork.
Pete, who was an art teacher at various schools but mainly Manor Farm Community School at Walsall, before retiring when he was 66-years-old, said: “I am annoyed by the number of people lacking consideration for others during the pandemic and blaming the government for things and saying they cannot hug their grandchildren.
“There are so many people saying they have exceptions and it is important that we all follow the rules.”
Three of six people pictured in the image are wearing masks made up of American stamps.
The artwork took him a total of five weeks to complete.
Pete does not yet know where the impressive image will end up but some of his previous artworks have found homes in America.
His largest work was completed to mark the Queen’s Jubilee and consisted of a staggering 30,000 stamps and at three storeys high was exhibited at Whiteley’s shopping centre in London.
Pete’s pop art began while a teacher to keep children focussed by designing images based on their favourite football teams.
A stamp dealer keeps him supplied with the necessary items to complete his pictures.
Pete said: “When I first started he gave me a bin bag full of stamps but they were attached to envelopes and I had to soak them off and my wife, Jane, could not get in the bath for ages.”
Since then he has produced portraits of many well-known figures including Lord Sugar and Frank Sinatra.
