Category: Art and Photography

We like to bring you art with a retro feel, and while browsing the Eyestorm site I came across this print by Bill Owens of a typical American family in a Californian grocery store in 1970.

Bill Owens was there at the birth of suburbia in late 60s California, and he had the awareness to document a quiet piece of history. New furniture and fireplaces, lawns and laminated surfaces: Owens’ candid photographs are a rare and charming record of these early optimistic home-owners, dreaming their domestic American dreams.

This silver gelatin print reflects the optimism of the era and provides a snapshot of family life in the 70s. It is one of a signed edition of 250 and is available for £370.

If this print doesn’t appeal you could also take a look at the other Bill Owens prints featuring cars and homes of the era.

Find out more on the Eyestorm website

Peter Blake is one of our favourite artists, and we have already recommended a visit to the retrospective exhibition on a Tate Liverpool.However for those of you who live anywhere near Brighton there will soon be the chance to see his Alphabet series of prints at the Hove Museum and Gallery.

Alphabet is a set of bold and colourful silkscreen prints, one for each letter of the alphabet, produced by Peter Blake in 1991. Alphabet characterises Blake’s method of working, incorporating images from postcards, magazines and popular ephemera. My favourite is H for Heart, but you can look through the whole alphabet to decide which one you like best.

The exhibition is a touring exhibition from the Hayward Gallery and runs in Hovefrom the 14th of July until the 9th of September.

Find out more on the Hove Museum and Gallery website.

A few years back, you couldn’t give a Tretchikoff Chinese Girl print away. They were in every junk shop you entered, a product of it being the bestselling print of all time – hanging on the walls of every other house in the 60s and early 70s.

But tastes changed and the Chinese Girl was ditched by just about everyone as the 70s came to a close. But it didn’t go for good – collectors have been snapping them up over the last few years as the market for this kitsch classic grew. And with supply drying up, it’s no surprise to see Vladamir Tretchikoff’s most famous work go back into production.

It’s available exclusively through Four Blank Walls, which has a license to reproduce this image onto either Canvas Wallhangings or Perspex Wall Mounts. Prices start at £105 – somewhat more than we paid for ours, but I’m guessing the new ones will not have the same tobacco stains as our 60s cast-off.

Find out more at the Four Blank Walls website

You may recall the rather cool 60s-inspired Botanie print by Nanoo Shai we featured at the turn of the year. Well, the retailers of that print – Qora & Shai – have just restocked with a number of new retro-styled canvases.

Three examples of a much larger range are shown here – Absolutie, Rendez-Vous and the two-panelled Noam. All are framed fabric prints on canvas, stretched onto wood frames and ready to hang. They also feature protection against fading.

A number of sizes are available – and as such, prices do vary. But the ones pictured here start at 55 Euros (which is around £37).

View the full range at the Qora & Shai website