Walter Peregoy
Encyclopedia
Walter Peregoy (born 1925) is an American artist who was a color stylist and background artist in animated cartoons. Among the studios he worked at were Walt Disney Productions 1951-1964, 1974–1983, Format Films
and Hanna-Barbera
(1968-1971 & 1973). He has received little publicity over his career, but has been acclaimed for his avant-garde
style. His dedication, creativity and contributions to animation while at Disney earned Peregoy the honor of being inducted into the Disney Legends
roster in 2008.
Peregoy was born in Los Angeles in 1925, he spent his early childhood on a small island (Alameda, California
) in San Francisco Bay. He was nine years old when he began his formal art training by attending classes at the California College of Arts and Crafts in Berkeley, California
. At the age 12 years old, Peregoy's family returned to Los Angeles, where he enrolled in Chouinard Art Institute
's life drawing classes. At the age 17 Peregoy dropped out of high school and went to work for Disney as an in-betweener.
In 1942, he joined the U.S. Coast Guard and served for three years in the Infirmary as a 1st Class Petty Officer. After World War II he continued his art education, studying at the University de Belles Artes, San Miguel de Allende in Guanajuato, Mexico, and with Fernand Léger
in Paris.
In 1951 Peregoy returned to the United States and resumed his career with The Walt Disney Studios. Initially serving as a designer and animator on Peter Pan (1952) and Lady and the Tramp (1955).
Although skilled with these more conventional projects, Peregoy's personal style began to surface. Peregoy's unique style began to meshed well with that of his contemporary, stylist Eyvind Earle
. Peregoy and Earle's work on Paul Bunyan (1958) was nominated for an Academy Award in the short category. Their unique style of animation on Paul Bunyan was a departure for Disney. Peregoy continued to work at Disney for an additional 14 years.
Peregoy was lead background painter on Sleeping Beauty (1959) before embarking on the most ambitious, intelligent, and personal effort to date.
"To this day, Walt Peregoy's color styling on 101 Dalmatians (1961) remains a fine example of how color can be used creatively in animation while serving more than a merely decorative function", says modern animation authority Amid Amidi.
Peregoy continued at Disney, working on such features as The Sword in the Stone (1963), Mary Poppins (1964) and finally The Jungle Book (1967), after which he had a brief stint at Format Films. Then, he spent several years at Hanna-Barbera.
He returned to Disney (WED Enterprises in 1977 thru 1983), contributing his unique view to the design of Epcot Center in Florida, where he influence included architectural facades, sculptures, fountains, show rides and murals for The Land and Journey Into Imagination pavilions.
Along with Marc Davis, Eyvind Earle and Joshua Meador
, Peregoy was one of the featured artists in Disney's Four Artists Paint One Tree documentary
. This documentary illustrated the unique interpretation that each artist can bring to a single subject matter.
Peregoy has enjoyed One Man Shows at: Stockton Museum, California; The University of Santa Clara, California; Galerie de Tour, San Francisco, California; Rutherford Gallery, San Francisco, California; Chouinard Art Institute
, Los Angeles, California; Landau Gallery, Los Angeles, California; Dickie Hall Gallery, Laguna, California; Jack Carr Gallery, Pasadena, California. He has also participated in group shows at: National Gallery of Art
, the Library of Congress
, and the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
.
He taught Background Styling at Brandes Art Institute from 1984-1985 as well as Principle of Drawing. He continues to draw and paint in the Los Angeles area.
Format Films
Format Films was a television animation studio which was founded by Herbert Klynn in 1959 with Jules Engel as vice president, Herb McIntosh and Joseph Mugnaini. It was most active during the 1960s, producing episodes of The Alvin Show, Popeye, and The Lone Ranger...
and Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
(1968-1971 & 1973). He has received little publicity over his career, but has been acclaimed for his avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
style. His dedication, creativity and contributions to animation while at Disney earned Peregoy the honor of being inducted into the Disney Legends
Disney Legends
Established in 1987, the Disney Legends program recognizes people who have made an extraordinary and integral contribution to The Walt Disney Company. The honor is awarded annually during a special ceremony....
roster in 2008.
Peregoy was born in Los Angeles in 1925, he spent his early childhood on a small island (Alameda, California
Alameda, California
Alameda is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located on Alameda Island and Bay Farm Island, and is adjacent to Oakland in the San Francisco Bay. The Bay Farm Island portion of the city is adjacent to the Oakland International Airport. At the 2010 census, the city had a...
) in San Francisco Bay. He was nine years old when he began his formal art training by attending classes at the California College of Arts and Crafts in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
. At the age 12 years old, Peregoy's family returned to Los Angeles, where he enrolled in Chouinard Art Institute
Chouinard Art Institute
The Chouinard Art Institute was a professional art school founded in 1921 in Los Angeles, California, by Nelbert Murphy Chouinard .-Founder:...
's life drawing classes. At the age 17 Peregoy dropped out of high school and went to work for Disney as an in-betweener.
In 1942, he joined the U.S. Coast Guard and served for three years in the Infirmary as a 1st Class Petty Officer. After World War II he continued his art education, studying at the University de Belles Artes, San Miguel de Allende in Guanajuato, Mexico, and with Fernand Léger
Fernand Léger
Joseph Fernand Henri Léger was a French painter, sculptor, and filmmaker. In his early works he created a personal form of Cubism which he gradually modified into a more figurative, populist style...
in Paris.
In 1951 Peregoy returned to the United States and resumed his career with The Walt Disney Studios. Initially serving as a designer and animator on Peter Pan (1952) and Lady and the Tramp (1955).
Although skilled with these more conventional projects, Peregoy's personal style began to surface. Peregoy's unique style began to meshed well with that of his contemporary, stylist Eyvind Earle
Eyvind Earle
Eyvind Earle was an American artist, author and illustrator, noted for his contribution to the background illustration and styling of Disney animated films in the 1950s...
. Peregoy and Earle's work on Paul Bunyan (1958) was nominated for an Academy Award in the short category. Their unique style of animation on Paul Bunyan was a departure for Disney. Peregoy continued to work at Disney for an additional 14 years.
Peregoy was lead background painter on Sleeping Beauty (1959) before embarking on the most ambitious, intelligent, and personal effort to date.
"To this day, Walt Peregoy's color styling on 101 Dalmatians (1961) remains a fine example of how color can be used creatively in animation while serving more than a merely decorative function", says modern animation authority Amid Amidi.
Peregoy continued at Disney, working on such features as The Sword in the Stone (1963), Mary Poppins (1964) and finally The Jungle Book (1967), after which he had a brief stint at Format Films. Then, he spent several years at Hanna-Barbera.
He returned to Disney (WED Enterprises in 1977 thru 1983), contributing his unique view to the design of Epcot Center in Florida, where he influence included architectural facades, sculptures, fountains, show rides and murals for The Land and Journey Into Imagination pavilions.
Along with Marc Davis, Eyvind Earle and Joshua Meador
Joshua Meador
Joshua Meador was an animator, special effects artist, and animation director for the Disney studio. He was a member of the team that created the special effects for 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea , for which the Walt Disney Studio won an Academy Award...
, Peregoy was one of the featured artists in Disney's Four Artists Paint One Tree documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
. This documentary illustrated the unique interpretation that each artist can bring to a single subject matter.
Peregoy has enjoyed One Man Shows at: Stockton Museum, California; The University of Santa Clara, California; Galerie de Tour, San Francisco, California; Rutherford Gallery, San Francisco, California; Chouinard Art Institute
Chouinard Art Institute
The Chouinard Art Institute was a professional art school founded in 1921 in Los Angeles, California, by Nelbert Murphy Chouinard .-Founder:...
, Los Angeles, California; Landau Gallery, Los Angeles, California; Dickie Hall Gallery, Laguna, California; Jack Carr Gallery, Pasadena, California. He has also participated in group shows at: National Gallery of Art
National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden is a national art museum, located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, in Washington, DC...
, the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
, and the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
.
He taught Background Styling at Brandes Art Institute from 1984-1985 as well as Principle of Drawing. He continues to draw and paint in the Los Angeles area.