Paul Peter Piech

Graphic artist Paul Peter Piech was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1920. World War 2 brought him to the UK, where he served in the US Air Force. In 1947 he married a Welsh nurse. Piech enrolled at Chelsea Art College and after graduating found work as a graphic designer in the advertising industry. In 1968 he went freelance. He supplemented his income by teaching at various UK art colleges. He mostly worked using linocut and woodcut techniques. His striking combination of images and text often reflected his liberal/left political outlook. Piech hated war and was a staunch pacifist and advocate of human rights. If you do an internet image search you will find many of his anti-war poster designs for groups like Amnesty International. He was also a big fan of jazz. In 1986 Piech settled in Porthcawl where he lived until his death in 1996. Whilst here, he immersed himself in Welsh culture and produced many brilliant works in both English and Welsh (see above pics). There is an archive of his artwork at the Yale College in Wrexham, donated by his family.

*On the subject of graphic design this new website dedicated to showcasing music flyers/posters in the Cardiff area is worth a look.