Peter and Jayne Smith, creators of one of the most collectable and beloved series of fine artworks, have returned with a remarkable new collection full of colour, popular culture references, parody and an insatiable love for finding the fun in life.

Subverting brand products and taglines all in the name of good fun, the collection started way back in 1974 when Peter Smith was only a child.

“My life was easy; I had no money, mortgage, job or social media to worry about. All I was interested in was cartoons, comics and pocket money; a 10p piece every week was like gold dust to a 7-year-old”.

With the rise of Pop Art after Andy Warhol and his famous soup cans, in the mid-sixties the Topps Company created a series of collectable trading cards/stickers featuring Pop Art parody artworks of well-known brands for children which served as early inspiration for this collection.

“I dreamed of one day being skilled enough to pull off my own quirky parody versions of consumer items, this dream took me through childhood, into the teenage years and my adult life with little result. I cherished the stickers from 1974 and even though they look a little dog eared they are still in my desk drawer.”

With intricate details and vibrant colour giving the artworks a surreal and captivating quality, the famous brands are transformed into bold pop art parodies through sophisticated still life technique and The Smith’s signature humour. A significant and deeply nostalgic collection for The Smith’s these new artworks are visually stunning and represent the fulfilment of a long-held artistic aspiration!

Find out more about The Shelf Life collection here or alternatively shop more Peter Smith art here.