Peter Brown (artist)

Charles Frederick Peter Brown (1921-2005) was a New Zealand born artist of the school of traditional realism.

Brown served in the RAF throughout World War II and the drawing and sketching he did while a German prisoner of warcite web | url=http://www.pegasusarchive.org/pow/peter_brown.htm | title=Prisoner of War Experiences: Flight Lieutenant Peter Brown | accessdate=2008-05-08] from 1943 helped him decide to pursue art seriously as a career. After escaping from the prison camp, and on returning to New Zealand, the Rehabilitation Department (an organisation set up to assist returned servicemen back into the workforce [cite web | title=Rehabilitation Department (Organisation) at the NZ Electronic Text Centre | url=http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/name-025051.html | accessdate=2008-05-08] ) assisted Brown to study commercial art and he began his training at the Elam Art School of the University of Auckland in 1946.Thwaites, Ian & Fletcher, Rie "We Learnt to See: Elam's Rutland Group 1935-1958", Puriri Press, 2004. ISBN 0-908-943-27-X]

In 1948 Peter was asked to teach by Archie Fisher, then Head of the Elam Art School, so he became a part-time lecturer from 1948-1950, before he had even completed his studies. In 1951 he completed his studies, and he continued as a full-time lecturer at Elam from 1952-1959, when he left to undertake independent study and painting. During his time at Elam he was an active participant in Elam's Rutland Group where he was known for his portrait painting.

He was invited to attend the Slade School of Art in London in 1960cite web | title=Peter Brown Official Website | date=November 2005 | url=http://peterbrownartist.com/peter-brown-media.htm | accessdate=2008-05-08 ] .

After returning to New Zealand he settled in Napier and taught at the Hawkes Bay Art School. He was awarded the Kelliher Prize for Landscape Painting in 1974.cite web |title=Kelliher Prize History 1966-1977|url=http://kellihercharitabletrust.org.nz/competitionhistorytwo.htm | accessdate=2008-05-08] He went on to move to Gisborne and was active in the Gisborne art community until shortly before his death in October 2005.

Holdings

Peter Brown's artworks are held in the collections of the:

* Royal Scottish Academy
* Scottish National Portrait Gallery
* Royal Society of Portrait Artists
* Rutland Group (Auckland)
* New Group (Auckland)
* American Watercolor Society
* Chelsea Art Society
* Artists of Chelsea
* Army Art Society

References

Persondata
NAME=Brown, Charles Frederick Peter
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Peter
SHORT DESCRIPTION=20th century New Zealand artist
DATE OF BIRTH=1921
PLACE OF BIRTH=Dunedin, New Zealand
DATE OF DEATH=2005
PLACE OF DEATH=Gisborne, New Zealand