Peter Burns (architect)

Peter Burns, (born 1924), is an Australian architect and artist who practised from 1952–1989. He is known for his involvement in Contemporary Art Society exhibitions, his co-founding of the journal Architecture and Arts and his contributions to the Australian post-war Modern Art movement.

Peter Burns was born in Geelong, Victoria. He began his architectural studies under the patronage of the Commonwealth Reconstruction Training Scheme, after serving in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as an aircrew trainee. From 1947 – 1953 he completed a Fellowship Diploma in architecture, first from the Melbourne Technical College (presently known as RMIT) and then the University of Melbourne.

In 1949, at the age of 25, Burns founded the magazine Architecture and Arts with his colleagues, James Birrell, Helen O’Donnell and Norman Lehey, and was responsible for editing the first five issues himself. After graduating in 1953 Burns drew the attention of art enthusiast John Reed, who was intrigued by Burn’s contribution to the magazine. Their mutual appreciation for Modern Art in Melbourne flourished into a friendship and brought Burns into the social group, known as the Contemporary Arts Society (CAS). Within the CAS, Burns was able to associate with many contemporary artists, actors, writers, poets, photographers and filmmakers of the time, which allowed him to further explore his passion for contemporary art.

Burns worked as a draftsman until 1962, before starting own architectural firm where he worked as a director until 1977. While making a living through his practice in architecture, he was just as well known for his frequent involvements in CAS exhibitions, being a talented graphic designer and artist. He held numerous one-man exhibitions throughout 1957 till 1971, with several exhibitions held in the Museum of Modern Art of Australia, Melbourne (MOMA) in 1958 and 1959. He also had exhibitions in the Dominion Galleries, Sydney in 1963 and the Llewellyn Galleries, Adelaide in 1969.

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