A celebrated printmaker showing in Christchurch

Press, 26 July 1978, Page 16

A celebrated printmaker showing in Christchurch

By

DERRICK ROONEY

A Hungarian-born American printmaker who has never made himself widely known to the gallery-going public, but who has nevertheless strongly influenced the development of modem printmaking, has sent 53 of his prints for an exhibition that just opened in the Robert McDougall Art Gallery. He is Gabor Peterdi, • who is professor of art at Yale University. Peterdi is best known to New Zealand artists because .of his book. “Printmaking,” which has become a standard work on the subject. But Christ- ■ church gallery-goers do have some acquaintance with his work: he was a guest exhibitor at the international drawing exhibition held during the last arts festival, and one of his

drawings, “Mad Garden,” was reproduced on the catalogue cover. The original of this drawing is now in the permanent collection of the McDougall Gallery. Peterdi, who was bom in Budapest in 1915, won the Prix de Rome for painting in 1930, and spent a year in Rome, studying painting and supporting himself by

selling postcards, singing in the streets, and wrestling in a circus. In 1931 he moved to Paris, and quickly became associated with the avant garde movement. About this time he began a long and profitable relationship with the English artist, Stanley William Hayter, who ran a print studio to which he encouraged artists with surrealist leanings. The studio, now famous as “Atelier 17,” was a haven for Picasso, Leger, Mex Ernst, and other noted artists of the time. When war in Europe was imminent Peterdi, like many other artists, moved to the United States. But the war was so disturbing, even at that distance, that Peterdi found himself unable to continue with his art. He took a manual job, as a farm worker in Florida, and eventually, after becoming an American citizen, joined the United States Army and helped to capture Hungarian war criminals in Austria. Five years later he resumed his printmaking.

when Hayter’s Atelier was re-established in New York. The earliest print in the collection on display in the McDougall Gallery dates from this period. In 1949 Peterdi began teaching at the Brooklyn Museum Art School, where he established a graphic workshop which gained a reputation for fine craftmanship. Many young

printmakers whose studies had been interrupted by the war were attracted to this workshop. Later, Peterdi moved on to a teaching post at Hunter College, and eventually to his present post at Yale. 4 To coincide with the exhibition of his works inChristchurch the Me--Dougall Gallery haa arranged two demonstrations of printing techniques. These will be given by students from theSchool of Fine Art and ther Christchurch Technical In-, stitute, under the guidance of one of New Zealand’s best-known printmakers. Barry Cleavin, who willalso give a short introduction to the prints and techniques of Gabor Peterdi. The first demonstration, will be an afternoon pne, beginning at 1 p.m. and running until 4.30 p.m. on August 8. The second, on August 10, will run from 7 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. After the Christchurch exhibition, which will continue until the end of August, the McDougall Gallery will send the prints on a tour of New Zealand.