‘Peter László Péri in Britain, 1933-1967: reforming “Socialist Realism” for Western Europe’

This essay contributes to a growing field of research into the work of Central European artists who settled in Britain in the 20th century. It examines the development and reception of the sculpture of the Hungarian-born, Jewish, Communist, refugee artist Peter László Péri following his flight from Berlin in 1933. It was commissioned for the bilingual catalogue of the largest ever exhibition of the artist’s work in a public gallery (Kunsthaus Dahlem, Berlin, 23/9/23-28/1/24, and Gerhard Marcks Haus, Bremen, 10/3/24-2/6/24). As the principal essay in the catalogue to address Péri’s work in Britain (the focus of the exhibition), it makes a significant contribution to the first substantial, scholarly, English-language publication on the artist. The essay situates Péri’s work in the historical context of mid-century Britain by supplementing research from the published literature with archival materials in the Tate Gallery, Henry Moore Institute and artist’s estate. Its originality lies primarily in highlighting the changing types of patronage Péri received following the emergence of the Cold War, and in using unpublished and previously uncited writings by the artist to show how he deliberately abandoned the stylistic norms of official Communist art by conflating realist figuration with technical and formal strategies assimilated during his early years in the Berlin Constructivist avant-garde.