Peter Millman

Peter Millman graduated with a BFA from Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland, in 1989. Since 1990 he has worked as "Peter Brierley-Millman" to represent his lineage on both sides of his family.

He created a stir in 1982 with his mural depicting a nuclear explosion, which was erased before it was completed. Newspapers of the time record that the six-panel mural was painted to face Victoria St in central Wellington. During its production the council voted, 10 to 5, to destroy the work on the grounds that the mural was exceeded its brief. Opposition to the mural was led by Mayor Sir Michael Fowler who was recorded as unsupportive of the campaign to make Wellington nuclear weapons free.

Other public works (post-2000) include 'Poodle' in Silo Park, 'A Parody' in Puriri, and 'Monterey Cypress' at Westhaven beach. 'The giantwins' (2004) is a pair of sculptures which are said to be the first New Zealand sculpture to sell for more than NZ$1,000,000. They are now in the Taylor collection, Houston, Texas.

See also:

• Dominion (Wellington, N.Z.). 23 December 1982, and Evening Post (Wellington, N.Z.) 22 December 1982.