Peter Siddell

Sir Peter Graham Siddell KNZM QSO (1935 – 24 October 2011) was a noted New Zealand artist.

Siddell was born in Auckland and educated at Mt Albert Grammar School and the Auckland College of Education. In 1960 he married artist Sylvia Siddell, with whom he lived in Auckland. They had two daughters, now adults. Siddell had painted full-time since 1972, when he held his first solo show. Following this, he took part in many exhibitions in both public and commercial galleries.

Siddell's realist paintings are identified mainly with depictions of the environs of Auckland. While his works appear to be records of actual places, his paintings have a subjective component, and might be better described as magic realism than truly realistic. The cityscapes and townscapes in Siddell's paintings are rendered empty, but with the unnerving suggestion of events occurring outside the picture area. In this sense, his work can be compared to the metaphysical works of Giorgio de Chirico.

Siddell's work is held in the permanent collections of all New Zealand major public art galleries, as well as many private, corporate and institutional collections. He received a QSO in the 1990 New year's honours list, and a DCNZM in 2008.^[1]

In 2008, Siddell was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour.^[2]

In February 2011, a comprehensive survey of his art career was published by Random House New Zealand, "The Art of Peter Siddell."

Siddell died on 24 October 2011.^[3]

Siddell is only the second New Zealand artist to be knighted: the first was Sir Toss Woollaston

References

External links

• Artworks by Peter Siddell in the collection of Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
• Images of Siddell's art
• "Painting North / Pointing South: Peter Siddell's Perspective on the Alps". Art New Zealand issue 98.
• Ten Dreams Galleries
• Artis Gallery