Artist Overview
Peter Peryer was born in Auckland in 1941. He graduated from the University of Auckland (MA Education) in 1972, and also lectured in English at Auckland Teacher’s College. Later in 1973 he began photographing, and is largely self-taught. In 1977 the Dowse Art Museum, Lower Hutt mounted the first retrospective of his work. In 1978, with the aid of a grant from the Arts Council of New Zealand he made a study tour of Europe and America. In 1980 he received another grant from the Arts Council to develop his studio facilities. Earlier in 1982 he participated in the Fourth Sydney Biennale. In 1985 he travelled to America. This was followed by a retrospective exhibition mounted by the Sargeant Gallery in 1986, which toured throughout New Zealand. For the next ten years Peryer held regular public and private gallery exhibitions. In 1995 Peter Weiermair, Director of the Kustverein, Frankfurt a Main, Germany curated with Gregory Burke a third Retrospective exhibition of Peryer’s photographs entitled ‘Second Nature: Peter Peryer Photographs’. Following this there was a further survey, 'At Home and Away’, at the Sargeant Gallery, Wanganui. In 2001 he had his third survey exhibition at the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth. Subsequently, he has settled in the Taranaki region.
Ron Brownson - 2004