Peter Halley

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In 1980, Peter Halley created his first “prisons,” transforming geometric abstraction to comment on physical and bureaucratic environments. He deconstructed abstraction, portraying it not as a utopian escape but as a dystopian representation of regulated social and physical spaces. Halley noted in 1990 that he aimed to highlight a world defined by efficiency and bureaucratic control across various institutions. During the rise of personal computers and the Internet, he developed a structured system of geometric forms termed “prisons,” “conduits,” and “cells.” Utilizing unconventional materials like Roll-A-Tex for texture and Day-Glo fluorescent colors, he illustrated the mechanization of human interaction and technology in a postmodern context. This catalogue examines Halley’s unique pictorial language within the vibrant art scene of the 1980s, where he emerged as a key figure in the Neo-Geo movement. After studying at Yale and in New Orleans, Halley gained recognition for his geometric abstractions and critical writings influenced by post-structuralist theory, linking the digital revolution with visual arts. He also served as the publisher of index magazine from 1996 to 2005, a significant platform for indie culture during that time.