Peter Laszlo Peri

Contents

Peter Laszlo Peri (June 13, 1899 – January 19, 1967) was an artist and sculptor.[1]

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 sculpture 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. When the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum opened in 1960, Peri was commissioned to "represent the life and activities [of Coventry] in modern terms and materials"; the work is known simply as The Coventry sculpture [2]

Peri joined the Quaker faith and produced a small bronze sculpture of a Quaker Meeting, much loved by the students of Woodbrooke Study Centre [3], Birmingham, where it is now located [4].

He died January 19, 1967.

Major works after 1945

Works in permanent collections

Exhibitions

External links

References

  1. ^ ODNB article by Gillian Whiteley, "Peri, Peter Laszlo (1899–1967)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [1], (accessed 11 Feb 2008)
  2. ^ Coventry Gallery's Help for Local Artists, The Times, 9 March 1960
  3. ^ Woodbrooke Quaker Centre website
  4. ^ Quaker Meeting sculpture on Flickr (accessed 23 February 2008).
  5. ^ a b 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.
  6. ^ Longslade Community College uses Peter Peri's sculpture as its logo (accessed 23 February 2008).
  7. ^ Illustration of Peter Peri's sculpture at University of Exeter: "Man of the World". (Accessed 24 February 2008)
  8. ^ 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 Tale Catalogue but not the bronze horse listed in the 1967 exhibition catalogue.
  9. ^ Peri's "Coventry Sculpture" is referred to as a masterpiece on the Museum's website. (accessed 24 February 2008).
  10. ^ Hungarian National Gallery website. (accessed 24 February 2008)
  11. ^ Ernst Museum Budapest website (accessed 24 February 2008).