Patrick Caulfield
"I like to work within limits. To me, the more limits there are, the more inventive you have to be."
Patrick Caulfield (29 January 1936 – 29 September 2005) was a renowned British painter and printmaker, celebrated for his distinctive approach to Pop Art. Born in London, Caulfield's family relocated to Bolton during World War II, where he later worked at the De Havilland Aircraft Company. Leaving Acton Secondary Modern at 15, he began as a filing clerk at Crosse & Blackwell, eventually moving to their design studio. At 17, he joined the Royal Air Force at RAF Northwood, preempting national service requirements.
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Inspired by the 1952 film "Moulin Rouge," Caulfield pursued art, attending evening classes at the Harrow School of Art. He studied at the Chelsea School of Art from 1956 to 1960 and the Royal College of Art from 1960 to 1963, alongside contemporaries like David Hockney and Allen Jones. After graduating, he returned to Chelsea as a teacher and participated in the 1964 "New Generation" exhibition at London's Whitechapel Art Gallery, aligning him with the Pop Art movement.
Caulfield's work is characterized by bold black outlines and flat areas of color, depicting everyday scenes and objects with a unique blend of simplicity and depth. In the mid-1970s, he incorporated more detailed and realistic elements, as seen in "After Lunch" (1975). "Autumn Fashion" (1978) showcases a mix of styles: some objects have heavy black outlines and flat colors, while others, like a bowl of oysters, are rendered more realistically. Despite associations with Pop Art, Caulfield considered himself a "formal artist," focusing on the visual aspects of his work.
Caulfield's contributions to art were widely recognized. He was nominated for the Turner Prize in 1987 and appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1996. His works have been exhibited in major galleries, including a significant retrospective at the Tate Gallery in 1981. Caulfield passed away in 2005 and is buried in Highgate Cemetery, leaving behind a legacy that continues to influence artists today.
