Peter Alexander (artist)
Encyclopedia
Peter Alexander is an American
artist. A member of the Light and Space
artistic movement in southern California in the 1960s, he is best known for his resin sculptures from the 1960s and 1970s.
(1957–60); the Architectural Association in London, England (1960–62); the University of California, Berkeley
(1962–1963); the University of Southern California
(1963–64); and the University of California, Los Angeles
(1964–65) and (1965–66).
After initially working as an architect, he rose to prominence in the 1960s with translucent resin sculptures. He has also produced paintings, including a series that depicts luminous aerial views of the city lights stretching across the Los Angeles basin. He also was commissioned to paint a large mural for the Walt Disney Concert Hall
in Los Angeles.
His art has appeared in the films Erin Brockovich
, Terminator 3 and Shopgirl
.
He was a longtime friend of Christopher Isherwood
. A portrait of Alexander by Isherwood's former lover Don Bachardy
has been displayed at the Laguna Art Museum
.
In October, 2011, Craig Krull Gallery will exhibit a survey of Alexander's work, including paintings and sculptures from 1970 - 2009 in conjunction with Pacific Standard Time. Alexander will be exhibited in Pacific Standard Time museum shows as well, including “Civic Virtue: The Impact of the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery and the Watts Towers Arts Center” organized by the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, “Phenomenal: California Light and Space” at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, and “Pacific Standard Time: Crosscurrents in L.A. Paintings and Sculpture 1945-1970” at the The J. Paul Getty Museum.
. He has been married twice, with two grown-up daughters from his first marriage and a son from his second.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
artist. A member of the Light and Space
Light and Space
Light and Space denotes an art movement related to op art, minimalism and geometric abstraction originating in Southern California in the 1960s and influenced by John McLaughlin...
artistic movement in southern California in the 1960s, he is best known for his resin sculptures from the 1960s and 1970s.
Biography
Peter Alexander was born in Los Angeles in 1939. He studied at the University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
(1957–60); the Architectural Association in London, England (1960–62); the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
(1962–1963); the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
(1963–64); and the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
(1964–65) and (1965–66).
After initially working as an architect, he rose to prominence in the 1960s with translucent resin sculptures. He has also produced paintings, including a series that depicts luminous aerial views of the city lights stretching across the Los Angeles basin. He also was commissioned to paint a large mural for the Walt Disney Concert Hall
Walt Disney Concert Hall
The Walt Disney Concert Hall at 111 South Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, California is the fourth hall of the Los Angeles Music Center. Bounded by Hope Street, Grand Avenue, 1st and 2nd Streets, it seats 2,265 people and serves as the home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra and the...
in Los Angeles.
His art has appeared in the films Erin Brockovich
Erin Brockovich
Erin Brockovich-Ellis is an American legal clerk and environmental activist who, despite the lack of a formal law school education, or any legal education, was instrumental in constructing a case against the Pacific Gas and Electric Company of California in 1993...
, Terminator 3 and Shopgirl
Shopgirl
Shopgirl is a 2005 American romantic drama film directed by Anand Tucker. The screenplay by Steve Martin is based on his 2000 novella of the same name.-Plot:...
.
He was a longtime friend of Christopher Isherwood
Christopher Isherwood
Christopher William Bradshaw Isherwood was an English-American novelist.-Early life and work:Born at Wyberslegh Hall, High Lane, Cheshire in North West England, Isherwood spent his childhood in various towns where his father, a Lieutenant-Colonel in the British Army, was stationed...
. A portrait of Alexander by Isherwood's former lover Don Bachardy
Don Bachardy
Donald Jess "Don" Bachardy is an American portrait artist. He resides in Santa Monica, California.- Life and work :Born in Los Angeles, California, Bachardy was the life partner of writer Christopher Isherwood, whom he met on Valentine's Day 1953, when he was 18 and Isherwood was 48. They...
has been displayed at the Laguna Art Museum
Laguna Art Museum
The Laguna Art Museum is a museum located in Laguna Beach, California on Pacific Coast Highway.An exhibition titled ...
.
In October, 2011, Craig Krull Gallery will exhibit a survey of Alexander's work, including paintings and sculptures from 1970 - 2009 in conjunction with Pacific Standard Time. Alexander will be exhibited in Pacific Standard Time museum shows as well, including “Civic Virtue: The Impact of the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery and the Watts Towers Arts Center” organized by the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, “Phenomenal: California Light and Space” at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, and “Pacific Standard Time: Crosscurrents in L.A. Paintings and Sculpture 1945-1970” at the The J. Paul Getty Museum.
Selected collections
- Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Getty Museum, Los Angeles, California
- Henry Art Gallery, Seattle, Washington
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art, California
- Metropolitan Museum, New York
- Minneapolis Institute of Contemporary Art, Minnesota
- Museum of Contemporary Art, Honolulu, Hawaii
- Museum of Modern Art, New York
- New York Public Library, New York
- Norton Simon Museum of Art, Pasadena, California
- Princeton University Art Museum, New Jersey
- San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art, La Jolla, California
- San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, California
- Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York
- Stanford University Art Museum, Palo Alto, California
- University of California, Berkeley
- University of California, Santa Barbara
- Vancouver Museum of Art, British Columbia, Canada
- Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Personal life
He lives in Santa Monica, CaliforniaSanta Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
. He has been married twice, with two grown-up daughters from his first marriage and a son from his second.
External links
Archives of American ArtArchives of American Art
The Archives of American Art is the largest collection of primary resources documenting the history of the visual arts in the United States. More than 16 million items of original material are housed in the Archives' research centers in Washington, D.C...