Legendary pop artist Sir Peter Blake has donated an unusual artwork heralding a new age in energy usage to a Wymondham charity.
The artwork, titled The Arrival of the Smart Meters, featuring a number of 'smart meter people', has been given to Creative Arts East, which promotes arts of all kinds across the region.
Smart meters will be offered to every household in Great Britain by 2020 as part of the digitisation of our national energy system, bringing an end to estimated bills and showing ucustomers what they are spending on energy in near real time.
Natalie Jode, executive director at Creative Arts East, said she was delighted with the donation.
Ms Jode said: 'The team at Creative Arts East are proud and honoured to receive this generous donation from Sir Peter Blake, which will take pride of place in our busy office.'
The artwork is one of 30 signed prints that are being donated to charities, universities and community projects across the country.
Sir Peter, 84, said he took inspiration for the work from the artist Saul Steinberg, who he said had given new meaning to everyday objects.
He said: 'In this case the smart meters suggested little bodies to me, so I turned them into people, symbolising the installers who are fitting the meters into every home in Great Britain.
'I love that something that can be seen as rather workaday is being introduced with art, and Arrival of the Smart Meters is an interesting way of highlighting its national significance.'
Sir Peter is best known for co-creating the sleeve design for the Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Claire Maugham, director of policy and Communications at Smart Energy GB, which is leading the smart meter rollout, said: 'People across the country will be able to see these pictures, by one of our greatest living artists, in their communities.
'Sir Peter Blake has brought smart meters and the national rollout to life in such a creative way. I hope these pictures inspire people around the country to find out more about how they can get their smart meter.'
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