Don Peebles is one of New Zealand’s most senior artists. He began his training at the Wellington Technical College of Art in 1947, he then moved to Australia and studied under John Passmore, a leading Australian painter at the time, at the Julian Ashton School of Arts in Sydney.
In 1960, Peebles won an award to study in London where he came under the influence of the progressive British artist Victor Pasmore, a formalist influenced by de Stijl and Russian Constructivism. From this period of training Peebles set off exploring relief & constructions. At the time they had a cerebral geometric basis, often with underlying strict grid formations.
In 1964 Peebles returned to New Zealand and gained a lectureship at Canterbury University.
Don Peebles continued to lecture at the University of Canterbury until his retirement from teaching in 1984 and then retirement from the University itself in 1986 to concentrate on painting full-time.
Several of Peebles canvas relief works are organic in form, utilising unstretched canvas which hangs from the surface of the wall like gills or membranes to create the feeling of a living, breathing being. In others the surface of the construction remains flatter with interweaving strips of canvas on the face of the work holding down one loose expressive gesture giving the feeling of a casual, quick decision, when in fact every act is carefully considered and executed.
Peebles smaller studies and reliefs often have the feel of an architectural model about them. With the knowledge that they could be scaled up there is a tension of potentiality created.
Don Peebles is represented in several public and private collections both in New Zealand and overseas and has exhibited in both solo and group exhibitions since 1949. He lives and works in Christchurch, New Zealand.
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