Peter MARKEY

Peter MARKEY
1930
2017

Peter Markey was born in Swansea and studied at Swansea School of Art. His first teaching post was in London, where he met a potter called Beryl Owen. The couple were married in 1956. In 1971 he took up the post of teacher of art and humanities at Trescobeas Secondary Modern School in Falmouth (now Falmouth School). 

In 1980 he left teaching and began to sell automata at a shop, Cabaret, in Falmouth High Street. This moved to Covent Garden in 1985, becoming known as Cabaret Mechanical Theatre, which still has permanent and touring exhibitions. In 1986 he and Beryl left Falmouth for Wales, subsequently settling in Somerset to be closer to family.

Markey is considered to be the 'father' of the Falmouth automata makers, and brought many followers into the fold. His work is represented in the Falmouth Art Gallery Automata Collection.

media

Painter and maker of automata

works and access

Access to work: Falmouth Art Gallery Automata collection

exhibitions

 

memberships

 

misc further info

 

references

www.artcornwall.com;

The Guardian (25.3.2017) obituary