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Peter Sedgley

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Peter Sedgley
Born(1930-03-19)19 March 1930
London, England
Died (aged 94)
NationalityEnglish
EducationBrixton Technical School, London
OccupationArtist
MovementOp art
Kinetic art
Spouse(s)
Marguerite Wiltshire
​
​
(m. 1951)​

Ingeborg Lommatzsch
​
(m. 1996)​
Children2

Peter Sedgley[a] (19 March 1930 – 17 March 2025) was an English visual artist associated with Op art and Kinetic art.[2] He co-founded SPACE, which is the oldest continuously operating art studio in London,[3] and the Artist Information Registry (AIR) with Bridget Riley in 1968.

Background

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Peter Sedgley was born in London on 19 March 1930. His father was a railway engineer.[4][5] He studied building and architecture at Brixton School of Building from 1943 to 1947. From 1948 to 1950 he completed national service with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC) in Egypt.[6] He worked as an architectural assistant from 1950 to 1958. In 1960 he set up a small design and construction firm making “prototype dwellings”.[7] In 1963, he began to make art full-time. In 1968 heCo-created SPACE with Bridget Riley and Peter Townsend. In a 1967 interview he said, “I wanted to concern myself with philosophy. I felt the need to get away and involve myself with the investigation of ideas… and this led me to painting.”[8]

Sedgley married Marguerite Erica Wiltshire in 1951. They had two children Richard Alan b.1954 d.1979 and Laura Kim b.1957 -.[9] They divorced and he married Ingeborg Lommatzsch in 1996. Sedgley died on 17 March 2025, at the age of 94.[10][2][11][12]

Art career

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Sedgley was “entirely self-taught” as an artist.[13] He was initially influenced by Bridget Riley, Harry Thubron and Bruce Lacey.[14] As his work progressed, he developed “a preference for circular forms.”[15]

Sedgley met Riley in 1961. Of his influence on her, she said “I did not know how to make a curve, even how to use a ruler, till I met Peter. I was still working on my kitchen table. He had to teach me geometry so that I could make the things I knew ought to be.”[16] In the mid-1960s Sedgley and Riley taught at Byam Shaw Art School, Kensington where one of his students was James Dyson. About Sedgley and Riley, Dyson said, “From them I learnt how to see and understand form, and ultimately how to draw it.”[17]

In 1966, the Canadian art dealer, Jack Pollock took some of Sedgley's pieces, together with ones by David Hockney, Richard Hamilton and Riley, to exhibit in his gallery in Canada, about which he wrote, “I realized that a show of this work in Canada could have a tremendous impression, not just on buyers, but on artists. I thought they would do very well to be able to see, absorb, really look at this inspiring new work. And they did – they learned a great deal.”[18]

Sedgley's 1971 design for the Pimlico London Underground station[19]

On 5 March 1968, an event later described as an action-happening, took place at the Tate Gallery.[2] French sculptor César Baldaccini had been invited to create a work using quick-drying polyurethane foam as part of a presentation for Tate members. As the sculpture set, Sedgley and the performance artist Stuart Brisley removed sections of it, transported them to the gallery’s front entrance, impaled them on the railings, and set them on fire. They left the scene before the police arrived.[2]

In the late 1960s, Sedgley became interested in the possibilities of using coloured light. This interest began accidentally while setting up lights for an evening exhibition. While trying to find a form of light which approximated most closely to daylight, he became aware of the varying effects of different lights on his targets.[20] This experimentation led ultimately to Sedgley's creation of art using artificial light. His first work using electric light was a “light ballet”, a moving light installation at Trinity College Dublin, and the Camden Arts Centre, London, in 1970.[21]

His experiments led to the creation of ‘videorotors’, painted discs programmed with patterns of light, using coloured light, filters, ultraviolet and stroboscopic light. Together with Frank Stella, he was “among the first painters to make use of fluorescent materials” in his work.[22]

Sedgley worked in London until 1971 when he moved to West Berlin[23] as part of the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) Berlin Artists Programme.[24] Pimlico tube station opened in 1972 showcasing British design. Sedgley had been commissioned to design the tiles for this underground station.[25] He remained in Berlin after the formal exchange ended, but had returned to London by the 1990s.[26] He considered his work “‘international’ in spirit.”[27]

In Germany, Sedgley was “mostly concerned with the use of electric light and kinetic sculpture.”[28] His first permanent installation was “Night and Day”, at Hermann Ehlers Platz Steglitz in 1974.[29] He also experimented with the addition of music to his installations, for example at Donaueschingen Festival in 1974, when he employed music directed by Jörg Höller. Around this time, he also worked with composers Eberhardt Blum and Morton Subotnik.[30]

SPACE and AIR

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In 1968, Sedgley and Riley were using Riley's house in Notting Hill as their studio, but their work started to become too large for the space. Riley said “Peter wanted to build a geodesic dome in the house, and he did it,” however, it was “a tight squeeze”.[31] In the same year, they developed the idea of an Artists Information Registry (AIR), a “central repository of information about artists’ work, which would be available for open consultation”.This meant that buyers could contact artists directly, cutting out the need for agents. The need for somewhere to physically store this information led to the idea of a location that would house both AIR and artist studios.[32]

In January 1969, inspired by studios they had seen while in New York for “The Responsive Eye” exhibition,[33] SPACE (Space Provision Artistic Cultural and Educational) was established at St Katharine Dock, London, as a “scheme for artists’ studios.”[34][35] Sedgley was secretary of the organisation[36] and worked almost exclusively on the running of both SPACE and AIR.[37]

The success of SPACE led Sedgley to develop a similar set-up in Berlin. The first exhibition, London Now in Berlin, featuring the artists who were using the London SPACE studios, was held at Messehalle, Berlin in 1971.[38]

Group membership

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In November 1969, Sedgley became a founding member of the Systems Group which also included Richard Allen, Peter Loew, Jean Spencer and Gillian Wise. They “developed canvases and constructions organised in arrangements free from painterly 'accident', subjective sensation or emotion, exhibiting regular constants and variables.”[39]

Together with Bruce Lacey, John Latham and others, he created a group called Whscht (how one might spell the sound of a whistle) which staged ‘happenings’ that were designed to provoke a response from the person in the street. He gave an example: “If newspapers were blowing around Tottenham Court Road, we’d come along and glue them down. The point was to provoke, to see how the public responded.”[40]

Selected exhibitions

[edit]
Year Exhibition Location Detail
1965 One-man exhibition McRoberts and Tunnard Gallery, London[10]
One-man exhibition Howard Wise Gallery, New York
The Responsive Eye Museum of Modern Art, New York[41] Also featuring Albers, Vasarely, Riley and Stella
1966 9th Mainichi Biennale Tokyo[42]
One-man exhibition Richard Feigen Gallery, Chicago[43]
1968 One-man exhibition Galerie Neuendorf, Hamburg[44]
British Drawing Exhibition Museum of Modern Art, New York[45]
1969 Light Show Greenwich Theatre Art Gallery, London[46]
1971 London Now In Berlin Messehalle, Berlin[47]
One-man exhibition Haus am Waldsee, Berlin[48]
1973 10 year retrospective Ikon Gallery, Birmingham[49]
1974 One-man show Arnolfini gallery, Bristol[50]
1986 42nd Venice Biennale Venice[51]
1988 Sculpture Cardiff Public Library, Wales[52]
1993 The Sixties Art Scene Barbican Art Gallery, London[53]
Ready, Steady, Go Touring[54] Featuring 1960s paintings from the Arts Council's collection
1997 Colorama Conference Centre, Dubai[55] A solar activated mobile of glass and steel
1998 Charged Light Royal Academy, Stockholm[56]
2004 One-man exhibition Austin/Desmond Gallery, London[57] Kinetic works
2009 One-man exhibition The Redfern Gallery, London[58] Retrospective

Collections

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Sedgley's work is in the following collections:

UK

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Arts Council England, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, British Council, Manchester Art Gallery, Tate, Victoria and Albert Museum.[59]

International

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Art Museum of Atenuem (Finland),[60] British Embassy, Berlin (Germany),[61] Chase Manhattan Bank, NYC (USA),[62] City Museum, St Louis (USA),[63] Dartmouth College Museum and Galleries (USA),[64] Indiana University Art Museum (USA),[65] Museum of Modern Art, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil),[66] Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture (Japan),[67] Stuyvesant Foundation (South Africa),[68] Walker Art Center (USA)[69]

Awards

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Notes

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  1. ^ His name is sometimes misspelt as Sedgeley[1]

References

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  1. ^ Pellegrini, Aldo (1966). New Tendencies in Art. New York, USA: Crown. p. 180.
  2. ^ a b c d Darwent, Charles (28 March 2025). "Peter Sedgley obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  3. ^ Cooper-Fiske, Casey; Knox, Susan (20 March 2025). "Artist Peter Sedgley, founder of Space Studios, dies aged 94 as tributes pour in". Mirror. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  4. ^ Anthony Everitt (20 October 1973). "Peter Sedgeley's Art Circles". Birmingham Daily Post. Birmingham, UK. p. 12.
  5. ^ a b "Peter Sedgley: Biography". The Redfern Gallery.
  6. ^ Naylor, Colin; P-Orridge, Genesis (1977). Contemporary Artists. London, UK: St James’s Press. p. 866. ISBN 0333226720.
  7. ^ Naylor, Colin; P-Orridge, Genesis (1977). Contemporary Artists. London, UK: St James’s Press. p. 866. ISBN 0333226720.
  8. ^ Sedgley, Peter; de Sausmarez, Maurice (Spring 1971). "Discussion between Peter Sedgley and Maurice de Sausmarez". Leonardo. 4 (2): 167–170. doi:10.2307/1572196. JSTOR 1572196. S2CID 192948956. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  9. ^ Naylor, Colin; P-Orridge, Genesis (1977). Contemporary Artists. London, UK: St James’s Press. p. 866. ISBN 0333226720.
  10. ^ a b Artist Peter Sedgley, founder of Space Studios, dies aged 94
  11. ^ Charles Darwent (28 March 2025). "Peter Sedgely obituary". theguardian.com. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
  12. ^ Cooper-Fiske, Casey (20 March 2025). "Artist Peter Sedgley, founder of Space Studios, dies aged 94". MSN. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  13. ^ Bowness, Alan (1968). Contemporary British painting. Praeger. p. 103.
  14. ^ Naylor, Colin; P-Orridge, Genesis (1977). Contemporary Artists. St James’s Press. p. 866. ISBN 0333226720.
  15. ^ Barrett, Cyril (1971). An introduction to optical art. Studio Vista. p. 127. ISBN 9780289701386.
  16. ^ Aitken, Jonathan (1967). The Young Meteors. Secker and Warburg. p. 198. ISBN 3928342177.
  17. ^ Dyson, James (2003). Against the odds. Texere. p. 32. ISBN 9781587991707.
  18. ^ Pollock, Jackson (1990). Dear M. Bloomsbury. p. 250. ISBN 0747507392.
  19. ^ "Victoria Line complete". Railway World Magazine (Vol.117 No.845 ed.). David and Charles. September 1971. p. 470.
  20. ^ Barrett, Cyril (1971). An introduction to optical art. Studio Vista. p. 128. ISBN 9780289701386.
  21. ^ Sedgley, Peter; Ohff, Heinz (Summer 1982). "My Kinetic Artworks and Paintings (1971-1982)". Leonardo. 15 (3): 183–187. doi:10.2307/1574675. JSTOR 1574675. S2CID 192995192. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  22. ^ Osborne, Roy (1980). Lights and Pigments: Colour principles for artists. Harper and Row. p. 45. ISBN 9780064301138.
  23. ^ Osborne, Roy (1980). Lights and Pigments: Colour principles for artists. Harper and Row. p. 147. ISBN 9780064301138.
  24. ^ McShine, Kynaston (1987). Berlin Art 1961-1987. Museum of Modern Art. p. 54. ISBN 9780870702556.
  25. ^ Charles Darwent (28 March 2025). "Obituary: Peter Sedgley obituary". The Guardian.
  26. ^ Rickey, George (1995). Constructivism: Origins and Evolution. G Braziller. p. 241. ISBN 0807613819.
  27. ^ Sedgley, Peter; Ohff, Heinz (Summer 1982). "My Kinetic Artworks and Paintings (1971-1982)". Leonardo. 15 (3): 183–187. doi:10.2307/1574675. JSTOR 1574675. S2CID 192995192. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  28. ^ Sedgley, Peter; Ohff, Heinz (Summer 1982). "My Kinetic Artworks and Paintings (1971-1982)". Leonardo. 15 (3): 183–187. doi:10.2307/1574675. JSTOR 1574675. S2CID 192995192. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  29. ^ Sedgley, Peter; Ohff, Heinz (Summer 1982). "My Kinetic Artworks and Paintings (1971-1982)". Leonardo. 15 (3): 183–187. doi:10.2307/1574675. JSTOR 1574675. S2CID 192995192. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  30. ^ Sedgley, Peter; Ohff, Heinz (Summer 1982). "My Kinetic Artworks and Paintings (1971-1982)". Leonardo. 15 (3): 183–187. doi:10.2307/1574675. JSTOR 1574675. S2CID 192995192. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  31. ^ Jonathan Jones (5 July 2008). "The life of Riley". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  32. ^ Moorhouse, Paul (1998). Albert Irvin: Life to Painting. London, UK: Lund Humphries. p. 70.
  33. ^ Jacob, Mary J; Grabner, Michelle (2010). Studio Reader: on the space of artists. Chicago, USA: University of Chicago Press. p. 303. ISBN 9780226389592.
  34. ^ Compton, Susan (1986). British art in the 20th Century; The Modern Movement. Munich, Germany: Prestel-Verlag. p. 444. ISBN 3791307983.
  35. ^ "A bit of artistic licence down in dockland". Daily Mirror. London, UK. 3 January 1969. p. 11.
  36. ^ "Space is on the way for cramped artists". Westminster and Pimlico News. London, UK. 14 February 1969. p. 3.
  37. ^ Sedgley, Peter; Ohff, Heinz (Summer 1982). "My Kinetic Artworks and Paintings (1971-1982)". Leonardo. 15 (3): 183–187. doi:10.2307/1574675. JSTOR 1574675. S2CID 192995192. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  38. ^ Moorhouse, Paul (1998). Albert Irvin: Life to Painting. London, UK: Lund Humphries. p. 80.
  39. ^ "Systems groups". artbiogs.co.uk. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  40. ^ Geraldine Bedell (6 June 2004). "Tuned in, turned out, still far out". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  41. ^ Walker, John Albert (1975). Art since Pop. London, UK: Thames and Hudson. p. 10. ISBN 0500410577.
  42. ^ a b Selected Theme Exhibitions
  43. ^ Richard Gault (2024). "Peter Sedgely". Peter Sedgely: 5 Decades. London: Redfern Gallery. p. 83.
  44. ^ Richard Gault (2024). "Peter Sedgely". Peter Sedgely: 5 Decades. London: Redfern Gallery. p. 83.
  45. ^ "Sedgley, Peter". oxfordartonline-com. 31 October 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  46. ^ Lucie-Smith, Edward (1970). Art in Britain: 1969-1970. London, UK: Dent. p. 86. ISBN 0460038885.
  47. ^ Moorhouse, Paul (1998). Albert Irvin: Life to Painting. London, UK: Lund Humphries. p. 79.
  48. ^ Walia, Saranjeet; Parry-Crooke, Charlotte (1979). Contemporary British artists. New York, USA: St Martin’s Press. p. 36.
  49. ^ Naylor, Colin; P-Orridge, Genesis (1977). Contemporary Artists. London, UK: St James’s Press. p. 866. ISBN 0333226720.
  50. ^ James Belsey (27 February 1974). "A glowing tribute to light". Bristol Evening Post. Bristol, UK. p. 12.
  51. ^ Bowness, Sophie; Phillpot, Clive (1995). Britain at the Venice Biennale 1895-1995. London, UK: British Council. p. 132. ISBN 0863552838.
  52. ^ Suzanne Barnes (5 December 1988). "New chapter and it's all in high tech". South Wales Echo. Cardiff, UK. p. 12.
  53. ^ Buckman, David (1998). Dictionary of artists in Britain since 1945. Bristol, UK: Art Dictionaries. p. 1086. ISBN 0953260909.
  54. ^ Terry Grimly (28 January 1993). "Drawing on an era of confidence". Birmingham Daily Post. Birmingham, UK. p. 12.
  55. ^ Geraldine Bedell (6 June 2004). "Tuned in, turned out, still far out". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  56. ^ "Sedgley, Peter". oxfordartonline-com. 31 October 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  57. ^ "Calender". The Burlington Magazine (Vol. 146 No. 1212 ed.). London, UK: Burlington Magazine Publications. March 2004. p. 207.
  58. ^ "Peter Sedgley (1930)". contemporaryartsociety.org. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  59. ^ Bowness, Alan (1968). Contemporary British painting. New York, USA: Praeger. p. 103.
  60. ^ Emanuel, Muriel (1983). Contemporary Artists. New York, USA: St Martin’s Press. p. 839. ISBN 0312166435.
  61. ^ Chapman, Tony; Neville, Tom (2006). The Stirling Prize: ten years of architecture and innovation. London, UK: Merrell. p. 130. ISBN 9781858943213.
  62. ^ "Peter Sedgley". 108fineart.com. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  63. ^ Bowness, Alan (1968). Contemporary British painting. New York, USA: Praeger. p. 103.
  64. ^ van der Marck, Jan (1979). Acquisitions: 1974-1978. Hanover, USA: Dartmouth College Museum and Galleries. p. 11.
  65. ^ Hubbard, Guy; Rouse, Mary J (1981). Art: Meaning, Method and Media. San Diego, USA: Benefic Press. p. 25. ISBN 9780817542511.
  66. ^ Emanuel, Muriel (1983). Contemporary Artists. New York, USA: St Martin’s Press. p. 839. ISBN 0312166435.
  67. ^ "Peter Sedgley". 108fineart.com. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  68. ^ Bowness, Alan (1968). Contemporary British painting. New York, USA: Praeger. p. 103.
  69. ^ "Peter Sedgley". 108fineart.com. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
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