Richard Hamilton described Colin Self as 'the best draughtsman in England since William Blake'. Although initially one of Britain's most celebrated pop artists, he has remained elusive.
Born in Norwich in 1941, Self studied at the Slade School of Fine Art but while other Pop artists of his generation celebrated consumerism, Self was drawn to the dark side of contemporary politics. His most celebrated work deals with the disturbing themes of nuclear war and Cold War politics.
Self returned to Norwich in the late 1960s from where he expanded his range of subject matter to return to more conventional themes such as the Norfolk landscape and still lifes.
His work has been widely exhibited in museums and commercial galleries and is included in the permanent collections of the Tate, MoMA, New York, and the British Council Art Collection.
Visit the online page that TATE dedictates to the artist.