Peter Joseph dedicated his artistic journey to exploring the profound potential within limitations. His career reached critical acclaim in the 1970s with his meditative, two-color paintings. These pieces featured a rectangle set within a frame of a darker shade, showcasing perfect symmetry. Every decision regarding color and proportion in these early works by Peter Joseph reflected a deep consideration of time, mood, and place.
While his work shares similarities with that of Mark Rothko and Barnett Newman, Peter Joseph carved out a unique space within Minimalism. His artistic influences extended beyond his contemporaries to include Renaissance masters. More recently, Peter Joseph moved beyond his established ‘architecture’ format. His canvases evolved to feature two planes, divided horizontally or vertically, marked by looser brushwork, natural tones, and areas of exposed canvas. This shift tapped into new emotional depths in his art. As Peter Joseph himself stated, “A painting must generate feeling otherwise it is dead,” highlighting the emotional core of his minimalist approach.
Born in London in 1929 and passing away in 2020, Peter Joseph lived and worked in Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK. His significant solo exhibitions include shows at Bernard Bouche Gallery (2018, 2015, 2013), Unité d’habitation Le Corbusier, Briey-en-fôret, France (1998), Museum of Modern Art, Oxford, UK (1994), and Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL, USA (1983). He also participated in major group exhibitions at prestigious venues such as Sotheby’s S|2, London, Kinokino, Stavanger, and Musée d’art moderne et contemporain, Geneva, among many others. Peter Joseph‘s artistic talent was recognized early in his career when he won the John Player Painting Competition in 1968, solidifying his place in the art world.
