Peter Laszlo Peri

Peter Laszlo Peri (June 13, 1899 – January 19, 1967) was an artist, sculptor [ODNB article by [http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/ac/mainpages/Research/staffpages/Whiteley/whiteley.htm Gillian Whiteley] , "Peri, Peter Laszlo (1899–1967)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/64507] , (accessed 11 Feb 2008)] .

Name changes

Ladislas Weisz was born June 13, 1899 in Budapest, Hungary. Antisemitism caused his family to change their name to the more Hungarian "Péri". When he moved to Germany, he was known as Laszlo Péri. After he moved to England, he adopted the name "Peter Peri". His grandson, born in 1971, an artist, also has the name Peter Peri.

Career

In Berlin, he joined the Der Sturm group of artists and in 1922, exhibited Constructivist scuplture in a joint show with Laszlo Moholy-Nagy. He worked in an architectural office from 1924 to 1927, with a view to qualifying as an architect. He returned to sculpture in 1928, but in a realist style.

In 1935, he and his wife moved to Hampstead in London. In 1939, he became a British citizen and took the name "Peter Peri". He made etchings and continued to work in sculpture, producing groups of small figures, usually engaged in co-operative ventures. Many public buildings were adorned with his work. He joined the Quaker faith and produced a small bronze sculpture of a Quaker Meeting, much loved by the students of Woodbrooke Study Centre [ [http://www.woodbrooke.org.uk/ Woodbrooke Quaker Centre website] ] , Birmingham, where it is now located [ [http://www.flickr.com/photos/qmh/2239272233/ Quaker Meeting sculpture on Flickr] (accessed 23 February 2008).] .

He died January 19, 1967.

Major works after 1945

*Source: Exhibition catalogue, 1967 Exhibition catalogue of a memorial exhibition: sculptures and graphic work at Swiss Cottage Library, London 8-21 May 1968, with an introductory essay by John Berger. Biographical notes, List of major works carried out [1946-1965] and of exhibitions and catalogue by P.H. Hulton and extracts from his writings and others writings about him. 15 pages.] .
*Ministry of information
**1946 Displaced persons. Concrete.

*London County Council. For Lambeth
**1948 Children playing.
**1949 Footballers.
**1950 Following the leader.
*Festival of Britain
**1951 Sunbathing horizontal-group.

*Leicestershire
**1955 Oadby Primary School. Three coloured reliefs.
**1956 Scraptoft South Primary School. Horizontal concrete group.
**1956 Scraptoft North Primary School. Folk dancing, coloured concrete relief.
**1956 Earl Shilton Grammar School. Three dimensional sculpture.
**1957 Wigston Secondary Modern School. The living Christ.
**1957 Castle Donington Secondary Modern School. The boy with the book and the globe. Horizontal.
**1958 Longslade Grammar School. The mastery of atom = self mastery. Horizontal [ [http://www.longsladefamilyportal.org.uk/Family%20Schools/LCC/Website/Home.htm Longslade Community College uses Peter Peri's sculpture as its logo] (accessed 23 February 2008).] .
**1959 Loughborough College of Technology. Diagonal concrete sculpture.
**1959 Hinckley College for further education. Cut out concrete relief.
*Warwickshire
**1957 Willenhall Primary School. Three dimensional sculpture.
**1958 Coventry. St. Michael Primary School. Coloured concrete relief.
**1965 Ernesford Grange Junior School, Coventry. Sculpture and relief. Polyester [There is a full page illustration of this work, with the sculptor alongside in the Exhibition catalogue referred to, on page 6. The figures represent a flautist and a singer.] .
*1961 Huddersfield High School for Girls. Horizontal sculpture and a relief.
*1959 Exeter University. Diagonal sculpture [ [http://www.ex.ac.uk/fineart/online_galleries/gallery_03.shtml Illustration of Peter Peri's sculpture at University of Exeter: "Man of the World".] (Accessed 24 February 2008)] .
*1961 Scott Bader Commonwealth, Wollaston, Northamptonshire. The man in Polyester. Horizontal.
*1961 Forest Gate Methodist Church, London, E.7. The preacher. Diagonal sculpture.
*1963 East Ham, E.6. Kensington Youth Club. Diagonal sculpture.
*1964 Long Eaton Secondary Modern. Three dimensional sculpture.

Works in permanent collections

*1938 Tate Gallery. Bronze horse. [The Tate currently lists:"Mr Collins from the A.R.P." 1940 Pigmented concrete object: 675 x 680 x 400 mm relief. Purchased 1988 (on display at the Tate Modern) and two other works at [http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ArtistWorks?cgroupid=999999961&artistid=2211&page=1 Tale Catalogue] but not the bronze horse listed in the 1967 exhibition catalogue.]
*1960 The Coventry sculpture. Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry [ [http://www.theherbert.org/collections/art.htm Peri's "Coventry Sculpture" is referred to as a masterpiece on the Museum's website.] (accessed 24 February 2008). ] .
*1947 Hungarian National Gallery. Budapest. Etchings [ [http://www.mng.hu/en/hng Hungarian National Gallery website.] (accessed 24 February 2008)] .
*1956 Museum of Tel Aviv. Etchings.
*1950 British Museum. Gulliver's Travels. Etchings.
*1964 British Museum. The Pilgrim's Progress. Etchings.
*1965 U.S.A. Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana. The Pilgrim's Progress.
*Derbyshire Education Committee.
**Sculpture and The Pilgrim's Progress Etchings.
*Leicestershire Education Committee. Sculptures.
*Camden Borough Council. Sculptures.
*The Arts Council. Etching.

Exhibitions

*1922 Constructivism Berlin
*1931 Ernst Museum Budapest [ [http://www.ernstmuzeum.hu Ernst Museum Budapest website] (accessed 24 February 2008). ] .
*1933 Bloomsbury Galleries London
*1936 "From Constructivism to Realism" Foyle Art Gallery
*1937 Gordon Fraser's Gallery Cambridge
*1938 "London Life in Concrete" Soho Square, London
*1948 "People by Peri" A.I.A. Gallery, London
*1952 "Sculpture in Relation to Architecture" A.A. Bedford Square, London
*1953 "Exhibition arranged by the Football Association" sponsored by the Arts Council
*1958 "Pilgrim's Progress" St George's Gallery, London
*1960 "Sculpture and Etchings" Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry
*1961 Trades Union's Festival Exhibition, Bethnal Green
*1963 St Pancras Arts Festival
*1966 "It's the People who Matter" Lloyd's Gallery, Wimbledon
*1967 "Avant-garde Osteuropa 1910-1930" Akademie der Künste, Berlin.
*2008 "Peter Peri Exhibition", Sam Scorer Gallery, Lincoln.

External links

* [http://www.samscorergallery.co.uk/peter-peri-exhibition.asp Permanent online exhibition at Sam Scorer Gallery]
* Grove Art article Laszlo [Peter] Peri
* [http://www.ilovefiguresculpture.com/masters/british/british.htm#PERI Chris Miller's "I Love Sculpture" website containing an illustration of Peri's sculpture "Sunbathing", with male and female figures horizontal to a wall, with an audience enjoying it.] (Accessed 24 February 2008).
* [http://vads.ahds.ac.uk/learning/designingbritain/html/festival.html Designing Britain article on the Festival of Britain]
** Illustration - "Sunbathing": maquette in Leeds Museums & Galleries] (Accessed 24 February 2008).

* [http://vads.ahds.ac.uk/learning/designingbritain/html/schools.html Art for Social Spaces article on Schools]

** Illustration : "Two children calling a dog" , c. 1956, sculpture by Peter Peri, was commissioned for Scraptoft Willowbrook Infants School in Leicestershire. "Current Repository": Public Monuments & Sculpture Association] . (Accessed 24 February 2008).
** Illustration 'Bank Holiday' (c 1937)is one of a series of large coloured concrete wall reliefs made by Peter Peri in the 1930s. "Current Repository" Leeds Museums & Galleries] (Accessed 24 February 2008).
** Illustration: One of Peter Peri's three relief concrete panels of 'Children Playing', c. 1955, for Langmoor County Primary School in Oadby, Leicestershire. c1956 "Current Repository" Public Monuments & Sculpture Association.] (Accessed 24 February 2008).
** Illustration: Peter Peri's 'horizontal-releif'in concrete - 'Man's Mastery of the Atom' - projects from the wall of Longslade Community College, Leicestershire, completed 1960. "Current Repository" Public Monuments & Sculpture Association] . (Accessed 24 February 2008).
** Illustration: Peter Peri's concrete 'horizontal-releif' - 'The Spirit of Technology' - juts out from the exterior wall of a building at Loughborough University. "Current Repository" Public Monuments & Sculpture Association] . (Accessed 24 February 2008).
** Illustration: Description In 1956, Peter Peri made 'Folk Dancing'- a yellow concrete relief - for the exterior wall of Scraptoft Valley Primary and Infants School, Nether Hall, Leicestershire. Another exterior relief - 'Jack and Jill' - and a relief for the interior of the school - 'Oranges and lemons' - were also commissioned in the early stages of the building project. "Current Repository" Public Monuments & Sculpture Association] . (Accessed 24 February 2008).

* [http://www.vads.ahds.ac.uk/index.php VADS] : Visual Arts Data Service

"Peri" -
**"Figure of Evangelist" "Date Completion" 1961 "Description" Angular elongated figure in a short robe or dress, standing out from the church wall, to which it is attached by the feet. Its arms and legs are bent and the left hand holds a book aloft. "Location Forest Gate, Greater London" "Measurements Dimensions Figure"(410cm high approx x 230cm wide approx) "Material" Concrete
**"Figure" 1964 "Description" Figure of a man with right arm held high above his head. The man is leaning forward away from the supporting wall. "Location" East Ham, Greater London "Measurements Dimensions Figure"(330cm high approx x 200cm wide approx x 100cm deep approx) "Material" Moulded concrete?
**"Relief of playing children - a memorial to the children who died in the blitz" on Darley House on a housing estate in Lambeth."Collection" Courtauld Institute of Art
** "The Spirit of Technology" 1957 "Description" A male figure, naked but for a suggestion of drapery across his genitals, standing on the vertical surface of an exterior wall. His hands, raised above his head, hold a loop or coil suspended between them. "Location" Loughborough, Leicestershire "Measurements Dimensions sculpture"(h. 304 cm (est)) "Material" concrete
**"St Michael and Dancing Figures" c1956 "Collection" Public Sculpture of Leicestershire "Description" A large exterior wall relief by Peter Peri, 'St Michael and Dancing Figures, executed for a school in Coventry.

References

Persondata
NAME=Peri, Peter Laszlo
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Peter Peri, Ladislas Weisz, Laszlo Péri, Peter Peri
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Artist
DATE OF BIRTH=June 13, 1899
PLACE OF BIRTH=Budapest
DATE OF DEATH=January 19, 1967
PLACE OF DEATH=St Pancras, London