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Don Peebles

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This article is about the New Zealand artist. For the American real estate entrepreneur, author, and activist, see R. Donahue Peebles.

Donald Clendon Peebles ONZM (5 March 1922 – 27 March 2010) was a New Zealand artist. He is regarded as a pioneer of abstract art in New Zealand,[1] and his works are held in the collections of Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki,[2] the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa,[3] and Christchurch Art Gallery.[4]

Early life

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Peebles was born in Taneatua, Bay of Plenty, in 1922. His family moved to Wellington two years later, and he attended Wadestown Primary School and Wellington College.[5] At age 15, he left school to work as a telegram boy for the New Zealand Post Office. In 1941, he joined the New Zealand Army, and during World War II he served in the New Zealand Division as a radio operator between 1943 and 1945. At the end of the war he had his first formal art training in Florence while waiting to be demobilised.[4]

Education

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Peebles began his training in fine art at the Wellington Technical College of Art in 1947, before moving to Australia and studying under John Passmore at the Julian Ashton Art School in Sydney from 1951 to 1953.[1]

Career

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In the early 1950s, Peebles returned from studying in Australia and moved back to New Zealand. In 1960, he won a scholarship to study in London, granted by the Association of New Zealand Art Societies.[6] Prior to this trip, Peebles married Prue Corkill.[7] It was in London that Peebles met constructivist painter Victor Pasmore, who became a friend and major influence.[8]

In 1964, Peebles became a lecturer at the Canterbury School of Fine Arts in Christchurch.[9] In 1980, he was made head of the painting department, and he lectured there until his retirement in 1986 to concentrate on painting full-time.

Exhibitions

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Dowse Art Gallery catalogue, 1973

Peebles has exhibited in both solo and group exhibitions, including:

Solo

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  • Don Peebles Retrospective Dowse Art Gallery, Lower Hutt in 1973.[10]
  • Don Peebles: Recent Work Robert McDougal Art Galley, Christchurch in 1979.[11]
  • Don Peebles: Drawings of the Eighties Robert McDougal Art Galley, Christchurch in 1988.[12]
  • The Harmony of Opposites Robert McDougall Art Gallery a major retrospective exhibition which toured New Zealand from 1996.[13][14]
  • Don Peebles at 83 at Campbell Grant Galleries, Christchurch in 2005.[15]

Group

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  • Five Wellington Painters Auckland Art Gallery. The other painters were Brian Carmody, Melvin Day, John Pine Snadden and Pat Williams. Toured from 1959.
  • Contemporary Painting and Sculpture Auckland Art Gallery in 1960[16].
  • Painting from the Pacific Auckland Art Gallery in 1961.[17]
  • Contemporary New Zealand Painting Auckland Art Gallery in 1964.[18]
  • Recent Painting in Canterbury Robert McDougal art Gallery, Christchurch in 1971.[21]
  • The Grid, Lattice and Network: Aspects of Recent New Zealand Art Auckland Art Gallery in 1983.[22]
  • Pieces of Eight, an exhibition that highlighted the work of eight influential New Zealand abstract artists, at Dunedin Public Art Gallery in 2010.[23]

Honours and awards

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In the 1999 New Year Honours, Peebles was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to art.[24] In 2003, Peebles received an honorary Doctorate in Literature from the University of Canterbury. In 2007, Peebles received an Arts Foundation Icon Award, awarded to only 20 living people at any one time.[5]

Death

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Peebles died of cancer in Christchurch in 2010, and was survived by his wife Prue and their three children.[25]

Further reading

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References

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  1. ^ a b Macdonald, Robert (2 May 2010). "Don Peebles obituary". the Guardian. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  2. ^ "Don Peebles". Auckland Art Gallery. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  3. ^ "Don Peebles | Collections Online – Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa". collections.tepapa.govt.nz. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  4. ^ a b Vangioni, Peter (2017). "Don Peebles: A Free Sense of Order". christchurchartgallery.org.nz. Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Don Peebles". The Arts Foundation. 26 September 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  6. ^ "Don Peebles, ONZM (1922–2010) | Te Papa's Blog". Te Papa's Blog. 29 March 2010. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  7. ^ Peebles, Don. How to draw a horse. Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, Robert and Barbara Stewart Library and Archive.
  8. ^ Wilson, Rodney (1976). "Formal Abstraction in Post-War New Zealand Painting". Art New Zealand.
  9. ^ Blundell, Sally; Heyningen, Diederik van; Paton, Justin (2009). Inner landscapes: 15 New Zealand artists with Canterbury connections. Christchurch, N.Z.: Canterbury University Press. ISBN 9781877257858. OCLC 434034679.
  10. ^ "Don Peebles Retrospective" (PDF). Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  11. ^ "Don Peebles: Recent Works". Bulletin. 3: 5. May–June 1979 – via Robert McDougall Art Gallery.
  12. ^ "Don Peebles: Drawings of the 1980s". Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  13. ^ Peebles, Don (1996). Don Peebles: the harmony of opposites : a Robert McDougall Art Gallery touring exhibition. Christchurch: Robert McDougall Art Gallery. OCLC 676835607.
  14. ^ Peebles, Don (1996). Don Peebles : the harmony of opposites (PDF). Paton, Justin. Christchurch, New Zealand: Robert McDougall Art Gallery. ISBN 1877161004. OCLC 61571922.
  15. ^ Peebles, Don; Banbury, Grant; Coley, John; Campbell Grant Galleries (2005). Don Peebles at 83. Christchurch, N.Z.: Campbell Grant Galleries. OCLC 233534756.
  16. ^ "Contemporary Painting and Sculpture" (PDF). Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  17. ^ "Painting from the Pacific" (PDF). Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  18. ^ "Contemporary New Zealand Painting 1964" (PDF). Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  19. ^ New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts (1969). New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts special exhibition for 1969: five guest artists; Melvin Day, John Drawbridge, Patrick Hanly, Ralph Hotere, Don Peebles. Wellington, N.Z.: N.Z. Academy of Fine Arts. OCLC 946515338.
  20. ^ "Ten Big Paintings catalogue" (PDF). Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  21. ^ "Recent Painting in Canterbury". Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  22. ^ "The Grid Lattice and Network: Aspects of Recent New Zealand Art" (PDF). Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  23. ^ "Art seen: Capturing NZ art history moments". Otago Daily Times Online News. 25 November 2010. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  24. ^ "New Year Honours List 1999". New Year Honours List 1999. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  25. ^ "Artist Don Peebles dies". The New Zealand Herald. 28 March 2010. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
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