Sir Peter Blake RA is producing an exclusive series of prints Running Suite to celebrate the 30th staging of the Bupa Great North Run.

Sir Peter's ten new pictures will explore the heritage of running, the event's human element, its international pedigree, its humour and extensive memorabilia. Using images of the iconic half-marathon, cigarette cards and vintage photographs of runners, medals and posters, many of the found images and objects Sir Peter has appropriated are from the Great North Run archives or sourced from the North East but the finished prints have a distinctly international feel.

Sir Peter’s mother was born in South Shields (where the event ends) and moved to Kent in the 1930s. Running Suite can be seen as Blake’s homage to the area.

This series of prints will form part of the In The Long Run exhibition at the Great North Museum from 17 July - 17 October 2010. 

As part of a collaboration between Bupa Great North Run Culture and Opus Art, limited edition prints are on sale only through www.opus-art.com. Each giclee print will feature a silkscreen glaze and will be signed and numbered by Blake, from an edition of 75.

Peter Blake is one of the best-known artists of the British Pop Art movement. He was made a Royal Academician in 1981 and received a knighthood in 2002. He is most famous for creating the artwork for The Beatles’ Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band album cover. He was the subject of a major retrospective at Tate Liverpool in 2007.