PETER SHOEMAKER (American, 1920-1998), Transfiguration, 1954, Oil on canvas, signed and dated verso, 21” x 45.5” (More)

Peter Shoemaker

Born in 1920 in Newport, Rhode Island and raised in Paris, Peter Shoemaker grew up to become a noted painter and longtime educator in the arts. As a child, Shoemaker made weekly visits to the Louvre with his mother, prompting his strong interest in the arts. He went on to attend Berkeley High School after relocating to California, and later attended UC Berkeley until he was drafted into the army at the onset of World War II.

Post-war, Shoemaker continued his studies at the California School of Fine Arts with the likes of Clyfford Still, Elmer Bischoff and David Parks. He remained constantly inspired by the cultural vibrancy of the time and struck up friendships with many prominent writers and poets in the Bay Area. Shoemaker commented of his own work that it was “more than paint on canvas, but also poetic intuitions. When certain echoes in the works are found, the viewer should enjoy something he was only vaguely aware of before.”

Shoemaker continued in the realm of education, teaching at the California College of Arts and Crafts from 1960 to 1984, retiring with the prestigious title of professor emeritus.

Selected Solo Exhibitions

1955, 1961: California Palace of the Legion of Honor
1957: The Oakland Museum
1961: Hollis Gallery
1966: Adele Bednarz Galleries, Los Angeles
1968: Trutton Gallery, San Francisco
1975: Marquoit Galleries, San Francisco