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PÉRI, László
PÉRI, László
Sculptor, Painter, Architect
(Budapest 13th June, 1899 – London, 19th January, 1967) The uniqueness of the multi-decade career of Péri was provided by the short productive period spanning from 1920 to 1924. During this period Péri was a member of that group of artists who represented the style of "international constructivism" in Berlin. The attitude of Péri stood close to that of the representatives of the Russian avant-garde movement, for instance El Liszickij. The life work of the Hungarian master was later forgotten, the actuality of his constructivist works was re-discovered by the generation of the 1970's, which by then had brought forth the theory and practice of he "shaped canvas". The works of Péri, similar to the later Americans, made use of the theory of reductionism, which was also why the representatives of the shaped canvas movement considered Péri their predecessor. Péri was born into a very poor family, in Budapest, and was a member of the Galilei group from a quite early age. From 1917 he acted as an artist at the theatrical school of the periodical entitled MA. The starting point, without doubt, of the nature-oriented attitude of Péri, was program of János Mácza, the theoretical writer, and theatre specialist, who preached the complete reform of the theatrical world. This practice was most probably the inspiration of the manifesto entitled Pré-színház published together with Raoul Hausmann (Der Sturm, Berlin, September of 1922). Before 1922 the paintings of József Lampeérth and Béla Uitz had a great influence upon his work. Independent of his young age he was by then already a member of the circle of the MA, and was only twenty years old when he permanently left Hungary, in 1919. Following a short stay in Vienna then Paris, he settled down in Berlin around 1920. This is where he became acquainted with constructivist art, and began, following his earlier expressionist efforts to produce works within a distinctly constructivist style. His first figurative, cement, statues were also produced during this period, of which only two survived. Péri was most interested in geometrical planes and their relation with surrounding spaces during this period. He prepared large-scale relief works from carton, of even thinner wooden boards and scales. After having painted them, they were hung directly from the wall without any frame. There aren't any specific motifs of styles in his works: two is one, and the same. The scale of colors is reduced to broken gray, ocher, and tired red. Single patches of color always constitute homogenic surfaces and are detached from surrounding patches. The importance of forms grew, and was defined primarily by geometric silhouettes, drawn in a grandiose manner. Reductionism may be found in his choosing of even the simplest of silhouette forms. Péri reduced the number of motifs, and made use of a large number of identical elements, while at other times the variation of elements, or their counterparts. Entirely elemental motifs constitute particular systems of signs and symbols. He made use of this system of signs in his linoleum engraving and photographic works. He also published a number of these linoleum engravings, for instance in the periodical Der Strum of Berlin. He also cut out other engravings, and glued the gray and black closed, and at times bent linoleum shapes onto ocher backgrounds with his own hands. These works resemble relief works when placed onto walls. The album entitled Peri Lnoleumschnitte 1922-1923, containing twelve (i.e. thirteen) panels, and was published with the introduction of Alfréd Kemény, by the publisher of the Der Strum of Berlin in 1923. Péri came into contact with the periodical earlier on: in February of the same year was when his exhibition held together with Moholy Nagy was introduced, which meant the turning point in both their careers, that is, the point from which they both gained fame. Péri and Moholy-Nagy appeared again at the gallery of Der Strum in 1923. Péri introduced his large-scale three-piece wall composition, which constituted the synthesis of his lifework at the fine arts exhibitions of the 'Great Berlin'. He exhibited space constructions and architectural designs not with Moholy-Nagy, but with German artists, in October of 1924. He was interested in architecture, first as an idea, a model, then as reality from 1920. Of his few paintings produced at the time, the one entitled Két Szoba /Two Rooms/, circa 1920, depicts two spaces, opening into one another, with reductive coloring. The Lenin emlékmûterv /Lenin memorial plan/ designed in 1924 is a dynamic constructivist architectural plan, which shows the influence of the "cloud-irons" of El Liszickij, and would have been prepared of glass and ferroconcrete according to Péri's idea. Péri participated in the Elsõ Általános Képzõmûvészeti kiállítás /First General Fine Arts Exhibition/, held in Moscow in 1924, where the Lenin emlékmûterv /Lenin memorial plan/ was depicted on the first page of the exhibition's catalogue. The plan coincided with his growing interest in architecture, as a result of which he began working at the City Architectural Bureau of Berlin, as a subordinate draughtsman, and gave up his fine arts activities for years. After suffering disappointment towards architecture in 1928, he turned towards sculpturing. His return to realist sculpturing did not however bring much artistic success; this period of his coincided with the gradual draining of the international avant-garde movements. Notwithstanding his lack of achievements Péri continued to be strongly attached to Berlin, and only escaped to England at the very last moment, in 1933. The majority of his work was left behind in Berlin and perished during the course of the Second World War. Of the constructivist works prepared by him during the 1920's, the Linoleumscnitte album preserved the ideas of the artist to the greatest degree. Based thereon he redeveloped his style during the course of the 1930's through works prepared with uniquely elaborated cement technique (direct formation of cement, kept wet throughout the entire work process) recreating his earlier constructivist relief works. Simultaneously he prepared figural, realistic small sculptures, in order to depict everyday life, making use of new materials such as synthetic resin and fiberglass. He also prepared large-scale mural compositions, with a similar notion. The first presentations of his constructivist relief works where organized by Kölnischer Kunstverein, in 1973, after which his works appeared at more and more exhibitions. Gerti Fietz, in his Doctorate Dissertation entitled Studien zum konstruktivistischen Werk von Laszlo Peri, published in Berlin in 1989, elaborated upon the constructivist career of Péri in a quite profound manner.
(Budapest 13th June, 1899 – London, 19th January, 1967) The uniqueness of the multi-decade career of Péri was provided by the short productive period spanning from 1920 to 1924. During this period Péri was a member of that group of artists who represented the style of "international constructivism" in Berlin. The attitude of Péri stood close to that of the representatives of the Russian avant-garde movement, for instance El Liszickij. The life work of the Hungarian master was later forgotten, the actuality of his constructivist works was re-discovered by the generation of the 1970's, which by then had brought forth the theory and practice of he "shaped canvas". The works of Péri, similar to the later Americans, made use of the theory of reductionism, which was also why the representatives of the shaped canvas movement considered Péri their predecessor. Péri was born into a very poor family, in Budapest, and was a member of the Galilei group from a quite early age. From 1917 he acted as an artist at the theatrical school of the periodical entitled MA. The starting point, without doubt, of the nature-oriented attitude of Péri, was program of János Mácza, the theoretical writer, and theatre specialist, who preached the complete reform of the theatrical world. This practice was most probably the inspiration of the manifesto entitled Pré-színház published together with Raoul Hausmann (Der Sturm, Berlin, September of 1922). Before 1922 the paintings of József Lampeérth and Béla Uitz had a great influence upon his work. Independent of his young age he was by then already a member of the circle of the MA, and was only twenty years old when he permanently left Hungary, in 1919. Following a short stay in Vienna then Paris, he settled down in Berlin around 1920. This is where he became acquainted with constructivist art, and began, following his earlier expressionist efforts to produce works within a distinctly constructivist style. His first figurative, cement, statues were also produced during this period, of which only two survived. Péri was most interested in geometrical planes and their relation with surrounding spaces during this period. He prepared large-scale relief works from carton, of even thinner wooden boards and scales. After having painted them, they were hung directly from the wall without any frame. There aren't any specific motifs of styles in his works: two is one, and the same. The scale of colors is reduced to broken gray, ocher, and tired red. Single patches of color always constitute homogenic surfaces and are detached from surrounding patches. The importance of forms grew, and was defined primarily by geometric silhouettes, drawn in a grandiose manner. Reductionism may be found in his choosing of even the simplest of silhouette forms. Péri reduced the number of motifs, and made use of a large number of identical elements, while at other times the variation of elements, or their counterparts. Entirely elemental motifs constitute particular systems of signs and symbols. He made use of this system of signs in his linoleum engraving and photographic works. He also published a number of these linoleum engravings, for instance in the periodical Der Strum of Berlin. He also cut out other engravings, and glued the gray and black closed, and at times bent linoleum shapes onto ocher backgrounds with his own hands. These works resemble relief works when placed onto walls. The album entitled Peri Lnoleumschnitte 1922-1923, containing twelve (i.e. thirteen) panels, and was published with the introduction of Alfréd Kemény, by the publisher of the Der Strum of Berlin in 1923. Péri came into contact with the periodical earlier on: in February of the same year was when his exhibition held together with Moholy Nagy was introduced, which meant the turning point in both their careers, that is, the point from which they both gained fame. Péri and Moholy-Nagy appeared again at the gallery of Der Strum in 1923. Péri introduced his large-scale three-piece wall composition, which constituted the synthesis of his lifework at the fine arts exhibitions of the 'Great Berlin'. He exhibited space constructions and architectural designs not with Moholy-Nagy, but with German artists, in October of 1924. He was interested in architecture, first as an idea, a model, then as reality from 1920. Of his few paintings produced at the time, the one entitled Két Szoba /Two Rooms/, circa 1920, depicts two spaces, opening into one another, with reductive coloring. The Lenin emlékmûterv /Lenin memorial plan/ designed in 1924 is a dynamic constructivist architectural plan, which shows the influence of the "cloud-irons" of El Liszickij, and would have been prepared of glass and ferroconcrete according to Péri's idea. Péri participated in the Elsõ Általános Képzõmûvészeti kiállítás /First General Fine Arts Exhibition/, held in Moscow in 1924, where the Lenin emlékmûterv /Lenin memorial plan/ was depicted on the first page of the exhibition's catalogue. The plan coincided with his growing interest in architecture, as a result of which he began working at the City Architectural Bureau of Berlin, as a subordinate draughtsman, and gave up his fine arts activities for years. After suffering disappointment towards architecture in 1928, he turned towards sculpturing. His return to realist sculpturing did not however bring much artistic success; this period of his coincided with the gradual draining of the international avant-garde movements. Notwithstanding his lack of achievements Péri continued to be strongly attached to Berlin, and only escaped to England at the very last moment, in 1933. The majority of his work was left behind in Berlin and perished during the course of the Second World War. Of the constructivist works prepared by him during the 1920's, the Linoleumscnitte album preserved the ideas of the artist to the greatest degree. Based thereon he redeveloped his style during the course of the 1930's through works prepared with uniquely elaborated cement technique (direct formation of cement, kept wet throughout the entire work process) recreating his earlier constructivist relief works. Simultaneously he prepared figural, realistic small sculptures, in order to depict everyday life, making use of new materials such as synthetic resin and fiberglass. He also prepared large-scale mural compositions, with a similar notion. The first presentations of his constructivist relief works where organized by Kölnischer Kunstverein, in 1973, after which his works appeared at more and more exhibitions. Gerti Fietz, in his Doctorate Dissertation entitled Studien zum konstruktivistischen Werk von Laszlo Peri, published in Berlin in 1989, elaborated upon the constructivist career of Péri in a quite profound manner.
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