Peter Alexander

Peter Alexander (1939–2020) was a leading figure in the California Light and Space movement, known for his luminous resin sculptures. Raised in Los Angeles, he discovered the material’s potential while repairing surfboards, realizing that hardened resin could hold and reflect light in striking ways. In the early 1960s, he began casting simple geometric forms in subtly tinted polyester resin, polishing them to create smooth surfaces that shift with changing light and the viewer’s movement. Inspired by the light of Southern California, as well as artists like Johannes Vermeer and Mark Rothko, Alexander focused on how color, clarity, and softened edges affect perception. His sculptures have an atmospheric presence, often described as glowing from within. He also worked in painting, drawing, and photography, consistently exploring how small changes in color and surface can shape appearance.

Throughout his career, Alexander exhibited at major institutions including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; the San Diego Museum of Art; and the Centre Pompidou, Paris. His work is held in the permanent collections of these museums as well as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Walker Art Center, and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, among others.