Dated 7th January 2004.

Paper size: 17.7 x 26.3 cm

Colin Self (b.1941) is a significant figure in British art history. One of Britain's greatest Pop artists, Self is a draughtsman, printmaker, sculptor and painter known for his wide-ranging preoccupations and broad repertoire of techniques.

He is especially acclaimed for his drawings, as Richard Hamilton's praise makes clear: 'He's the best draughtsman in England since William Blake; he uses the pencil in such an individual way.' He is widely respected by others among his peers, including David Hockney and Peter Blake (both of whom he studied with at the Slade during the early 1960s), as well as Michael Andrews, Frank Auerbach, Francis Bacon, William Coldstream, and Allen Jones.

His earlier work demonstrated a sensibility to political issues and nuclear paranoia, making him the only British Pop artist to refer explicitly to the Cold War. He also produced works featuring apparently harmless motifs from contemporary life and consumer society which at times conveys an unexpected atmosphere of violence and sexual threat. His intention was to make a detailed record of his society which, in the event of its destruction, would convey its essential qualities to anyone coming across his work in the future.

Colin Self's work has been exhibited in numerous solo exhibitions in galleries such as the Tate and Pallant House Gallery, and can also been found in significant private collections.