Peter Blake

Christian Hasucha, Roger McGough, Crocodile Puddles
in: Bookworks, London, 1984

CROCODILE PUDDLES is the second book published by The New Pyramid Press, combining the work of poet Roger McGough and artist Christian Hasucha in a most compelling style. Here, Peter Blake reveals some of his thoughts on seeing the book.

When Roger McGough asked me to write about 'Crocodile Puddles' I looked forward to seeing it very much. Roger McGough's words, and the images by artist Christian Hasucha, have captured both the mystical and the comically outlandish, nature of this much maligned creature. Roger's inspired text conveys the humour and despair in Hasucha's crocodiles, in a style which could not be anyone else. I am a great fan of his writing and 'Crocodile Puddles' maintains his very high standards.

Christian Hasucha's images, which are the basis of this book, are brilliantly conceived from what is a very funny idea, crocodile puddles lurking in the pot-holes of London streets. All the images, which were screen-printed after photographs, have been hand-coloured by the artist, using oil-pastels, which give life to each image, and carry over onto the pages of text adding colour to Robert Hadrill's imaginative typographic design.

I rnust mention finally that John Cole did the screen printing of Hasucha's images, and also draw attention to the binding of the book, with its use of collage on the front board as much a part of the book as its contents. I have received a copy of 'Crocodile Puddles' for writing this short piece, and will treasure it - a lovely book."

Vgl. Projektdokumentation Nr. 2 If London flooded