From
Montana award-winning author Jill Trevelyan
comes the first biography of Peter McLeavey, the charismatic, pioneering art
dealer who since the 1960s has shaped - even transformed - New Zealand art.





McLeavey's
personal story is remarkable, but his contemporaries will recognise common
themes: the religious upbringing, the struggle to be bohemian in repressive
mid-century small town New Zealand,
the challenges of marriage and fatherhood, the dilemma of whether to stay or
leave New Zealand,
and the need to make a mark. Through exclusive access to McLeavey's extensive
and hitherto untapped archive of letters, diaries, exhibition files and more,
this book offers insights into the artists McLeavey has represented across half
a century. Here, in their own words - lively, salty, and often heart-breaking -
are Colin McCahon, Toss Woollaston, Len Lye, Milan Mrkusich, Bill Hammond,
Gordon Walters, Michael Illingworth, Robin White, Richard Killeen, John
Reynolds, Yvonne Todd and many more.





Far
more than a simple biography, this is the big story of contemporary New Zealandart itself, in a period of massive change and growth, and Trevelyan offers an
utterly fresh and compelling historical account of the birth of the modern art
market and the status of art today. A must-read for anyone interested in New Zealand's
art, culture or recent history.