Thirty Years in a Day

The North Shore Times, October 2006

___THIRTY years ago Sydney artist Peter Day had a life-changing experience.___The former music promoter won a scholarship to attend the Royal Art Society in North Sydney and met Archibald winner Arthur Murch, the teacher that changed his life.                      ___"I was involved in the music business and some of the things that go with rock 'n' roll," Mr Day said.  __"I was a pretty rough and tumble type of boy back then."___Mr Day attributes Mr Murch for "polishing up" his ragged edges and helping him realise his potential.                ___"Arthur was a gentle, honest and knowledgeable human being," he said.        
___"He saw that I kept asking questions and was interested in the craft of painting ... and he and the other teachers at the Society filled in the missing gaps for me."___Mr Day said life is about experiences and his latest exhibition 'Day: Survey, thirty something years of work on paper' represents the major phases of his development as an artist over the last decades.___"It's 30-something works, 30-something exhibitions over 30-something years," he said.        
___A multi-faceted artist, Mr Day works in the public art domain with more than 170 commissions to his name including two of the biggest murals in the southern hemisphere,             ___Although he loves both, Mr Day said public and personal art is quite different.___"In public art you have a client and have a responsibility to them," Mr Day said.                               ___"With my personal collection I only a responsibility to myself and I am free do purely what I like."         The exhibition is being held until November 5 at The Marianne Newman Gallery, Suite 1/1 Albany St. Crows Nest.          

WORDS: Helena Sivric PICTURES: John Appleyard