Peter Halley
Untitled (PHD 11.13.04.1), 2005
This exhibition presented a range of works that capture variations of the cell theme – an engaging subject that has caught Halley’s attention since the early eighties. He originally produced the cell as an analogy to a prison, a critic to an idealist and formalist Modernism. But, the idea of the "cell" grew in Halley’s eyes. The artist started exploring implicit differentiations of the meaning: from a concrete idea – like an empty room – to a broader visual reinterpretation of the concept – in the field of new technology –.
Untitled (PHD 11.23.04.6), 2005
Halley’s understanding of formal analysis is suggested in his control over the elements of art and principles of design. Within this context, the artist chooses to exploit the different effects created from varying the proportions, superposition or combination of his prisons and monochromatic panels.
Untitled (PHD 4.07.05.1), 2005
The visual impact of Halley’s work is huge, immediate and explosive. This is partly due to his use of scale, color and sharp outline. Halley creates compositions that use Day-Glo and acrylic paints and areas of stucco texture to create subtle or brilliant effects. Despite his clear roots in Pop Art and Minimalism, the artist refers to his own practice as an intuitive project that gives way to a separate living space for his imagination.
The exhibition draws on the museum’s own extensive collection of works by the artist—including masterpieces from across his long career—supplemented by key works from other public and private collections, and provides an extended glimpse into the prolific production of this 91-year-old painter. Featuring about ninety works—including some of the artist’s most important paintings—the exhibition will offer visitors a retrospective overview of this seminal artist’s oeuvre from the 1950s to today.
