A Mad Tea-Party by Clifford Richards

A Mad Tea-Party by Clifford Richards.

From the V&A Shop website:

A Mad Tea-Party – a celebration of British Design by Clifford Richards

Giclee print
Limited edition of 150, signed and numbered by the artist.

Created by Clifford Richards to celebrate British Design in the year 2012.  Look closely at the print to see a plethora of design classics and some familiar faces.  Now in his 70s, Clifford Richards left his advertising job in the mid 1960s to focus on creating his own products, invariably made from card and adorned with bold, colourful graphic illustration. Much of his work from the 60s and 70s is now in the V&A’s permanent collection.

The print is full of references to British design: from Gilbert and George to Dyson. It’s hard to see them all at small scale, but here’s the list if you want to have a go:

L-R: Grayson Perry and Measles, Peter Blake, David Hockney, Stephen Jones, Damien Hirst, Prof Tracey Emin wearing a dress loosely based on Vivienne Westwood’s designs, Gilbert and George, Heston Blumenthal pouring a rainbow, Terence Conran

The table leg is from the Louis Console Table by John Reeves for Heal’s. Peter Blake sits on Tom Dixon’s Offcut Stool. Stephen Jones on a Robin Day Polyprop Armchair, Terence Conran lounges in his own Cone Chair and in the foreground is Ron Arad’s Three Skin Chair.

Under the table Paul Smith is represented by his brands shopping bag and James Dyson by his Ball. There is a trash can that used to appear on old Mac computers.

On the table are a couple of Clifford Richards Urban Alphabet mugs. One showing an anglepoise lamp which was an original British design, a vase with Mary Quant’s flower and an iconic plastic squeeze Red Tomato.

At the back is bunting representing the Queen’s Jubilee, an E-Type Jaguar and Concorde.

Available from the V&A or on Amazon.

Advertisement