Peter Atkins

Peter Atkins’ abstract works are based on a life-long practice (some might say, obsession) of relentless collecting and sorting, and are the result of his incredible capacity to find order in chaos and inspiration in the everyday. For many years his art has involved sourcing and appropriating colours, patterns and shapes from the environment around him, in a process that he calls “readymade abstraction”. With an exhibiting career spanning four decades, Peter’s work is widely collected and is represented in public institutions including the National Gallery of Australia, National Gallery of Victoria, Art Gallery of New South Wales and Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, among others. Peter is represented by Tolarno Galleries, Melbourne and GAG Projects, Adelaide.

GETTING TO KNOW PETER ATKINS

FAVOURITE HISTORIC ARTIST: Too many to list though a few favourites are Turner, especially the late seascapes, and Whistler’s Nocturnes; two greats who prefaced impressionism and paved the way for abstraction. Rothko for his ability to eliminate everything except colour, yet still magically reference or evoke sensations of the landscape. William Scott’s unrivalled ability to place form perfectly within a picture plane. Tony Tuckson’s late double-panelled Masonite works for their sheer mark-making audacity. Colin McCahon’s Angels and Bed series: sensitive explorations of death and mortality. Dubuffet’s endless exploration of materials (from concrete to butterfly wings). Josef Albers’ colour studies which are a master class in colour relationships. Warhol for (re)presenting the world back to us, and both Rosalie Gascoigne and Robert Macpherson for their unique interpretations of the Australian Landscape.

FAVOURITE CONTEMPORARY ARTIST: Always changing, though Australian ceramicist Alan Constable is one of my favourite artists at the moment.

FAVOURITE CITY: Istanbul is at the top of my list and I’ve been fortunate to have visited a number of times. I think what attracts me is the wonderful combination of history, art, architecture, food, markets and the beautiful people, combined with the magnificent harbour and Bosphorous Strait surrounding the city (as well as the incredible landscape of Turkey).

LIFE-CHANGING CAREER MOMENT: Being included in the PERSPECTA at the Art Gallery of NSW in 1989 was important for me as it introduced my work to a much wider audience, including collectors and commercial galleries. I’d only recently left studies at the National Art School, so it was a huge career moment as a young artist.

STUDIO SOUNDTRACK: Podcasts, especially true crime and ABC Radio National.

FAVOURITE ART MUSEUM: The Calico Museum of Textiles in Ahmedabad, India.

IF I WASN’T AN ARTIST…: I’d probably be an architect – there’s many parallels between both disciplines. I have more books on architecture than art at home …