ANGELA PERKO

Sullivan Goss A N A M E R I C A N G A L L E RY

Seven East Anapamu Street Santa Barbara, California 93101 www.sullivangoss.com Essay by: Book design: Photography by:

Edited by: Printed by:

Susan Bush Jeremy Tessmer William Dewey Edgard Rincon Nathan Vonk Nathan Vonk Vidi Volo, Inc. of Los Angeles, CA

Š 2013 Sullivan Goss, Ltd. Santa Barbara, California ISBN: 978-0-9850714-6-2 First Edition - Limited to 200 copies This catalog was published in conjunction with the exhibition ANGELA PERKO that took place from June 6 - September 1, 2013 To review the exhibition online, visit: http://www.sullivangoss.com/Exhibits/ angelaperko2013.asp

When I first saw Angela Perko’s paintings, I could hear the music they produced. The compositions create a song that take the viewer on a musical journey of one woman’s unique vision of the world.

As in music, Angela’s paintings contain different elements. There are syncopated rhythm sections of repeating images such as trees or mountains.

Her use of saturated, harmonic, colors then chime in to create the melody, the story created by the images is the lyric of the song.

The most fascinating thing I find about Angela’s work is the way she sees things in her mind.

When she sits outside to paint a landscape, what goes on the canvas is what she actually sees. Her eye records landscapes as places of shimmering, colorful shapes, where trees can be blue and leaves red, when clouds become echoes of each other in undulating armies and trees bend and sway with the moon as a conductor.

When Angela looks at a landscape, shapes are

simplified in the manner of Cubism, but the compositions are never flat or still. There is always movement even when the subject matter is a simple object such as a garden bouquet. Life fairly hums just beneath the surface.

Angela’s imagination takes the viewer from a simple interior composition to aerial vistas seen from great heights and back home again to an intimate portrait of a female figure reclining in faceted sunlight.

The great Bauhaus artist, Vassily Kandinsky, wrote that his art was a translation of music. The lines and shapes of his work were the staff upon which notes of color were placed. Kandisnky’s idea of translating music into color is evident in Angela’s oeuvre, but she makes it her own and inverts the process by translating color into visual music.

Angela Perko’s paintings are an uplifting symphony of brightness, the impression of which resonates long after the final note has been played.

- Susan Bush

Plaza Rubio, 2013 11¾ x 31½ inches • oil on canvas

LEFT: Church of Christ Scientist, 2013 10 x 8 inches • oil on canvas RIGHT: Courthouse, 2013 10 x 8 inches • oil on canvas

Crocker Row, 2013 10 x 20 inches • oil on canvas

In the 20th century, every attempt to annihilate the past was made.

Like a massive wave of destruction, nothing was left unaltered, but in its wake we were left with such a variety of expression and innovation. These pebbles, left upon the beach, make a glittering mosaic, complex and beautiful, a treasure to be mined. The present too soon becomes the past, so we embrace the new. Paint and canvas; charcoal and paper; might someday become obsolete. So with blackened fingers, I sift through the shiny pieces, some find their way into the drawings and by extension into the paintings‌ - AP

LEFT: In a Shaded Place, Canet - Romero, 2011 24 x 30 inches • oil on canvas RIGHT: Coal Oil Point, 2012 18 x 36 inches • oil on canvas

Slough, Hendry's Beach, 2012 20 x 30 inches • oil on canvas

These figure paintings originate from weekly figure drawing sessions. The models pose, each with their own repertoire of gesture and mood, as models have posed forever. Head lowered, eyes cast downward, back curved, hands crossed, a renaissance Madonna, or Rodin's tormented Eve appear before me. Arm behind the head, elbow stretched high, body angled and twisted, and there stands one of Picasso's " Demoiselles." It is as if time is flowing in two directions. With charcoal and paper, I make a mark. Perhaps Picasso made a similar one. The marks multiply and fill the page; the pose is over and Picasso is gone. My drawing companion looks over and says, "you must like Hockney." - AP

LEFT: Odalisque, 2013 60 x 40 inches • oil on canvas RIGHT: Beyond the Ophanim, 2013 60 x 40 inches • oil on canvas

"When one reads these strange pages of one long gone, one feels that one is at one with one who was once..."

- James Joyce, from Ulysses

LEFT: Woman with a Red Earing, Reading, 2013 60 x 40 inches • oil on canvas RIGHT: Magnolia Scented Night, 2013 36 x 48 inches • oil on canvas

These two are the same bouquet.

- AP LEFT: Roses and Sunflowers II, 2012 40 x 30 inches • oil on canvas RIGHT: Roses and Sunflowers, 2012 48 x 36 inches • oil on canvas

Bromeliad, 2012 28 x 22 inches • oil on canvas

Still Life with Sunflowers, 2012 28 x 22 inches • oil on canvas

Proteus, 2012 28 x 22 inches • oil on canvas

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Roses and Sunflowers, 2012 48 x 36 inches • oil on canvas Bromeliad, 2012 28 x 22 inches • oil on canvas Still Life with Sunflowers, 2012 28 x 22 inches • oil on canvas Proteus, 2012 28 x 22 inches • oil on canvas Coal Oil Point, 2012 18 x 36 inches • oil on canvas Slough - Hendry's Beach, 2012 20 x 30 inches • oil on canvas Coastal View from El Capitan, 2012 10 x 20 inches • oil on canvas Gaviota Coast, 2012 20 x 16 inches • oil on canvas In a Shaded Place, Canet - Romero, 2011 24 x 30 inches • oil on canvas Woman with a Red Earring, Reading, 2013 60 x 40 inches • oil on canvas Odalisque, 2013 60 x 40 inches • oil on canvas Beyond the Ophanim, 2013 60 x 40 inches • oil on canvas Magnolia Scented Night, 2013 36 x 48 inches • oil on canvas Woman in a Red Arm Chair, 2007/10 22 x 28 inches • oil on canvas

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Abstract Figure, 2012 10 x 6 inches • oil on canvas Reclining Figure, 2013 10 x 8 inches • oil on canvas Plaza Rubio, 2013 11¾ x 31½ inches • oil on canvas Crocker Row, 2013 10 x 20 inches • oil on canvas Courthouse, 2013 10 x 8 inches • oil on canvas Church of Christ Scientist, 2013 10 x 8 inches • oil on canvas Trinity Church, 2013 10 x 8 inches • oil on canvas Unitarian Church, 2013 10 x 8 inches • oil on canvas Seminary, 2013 10 x 8 inches • oil on canvas Our Lady of Sorrows, 2013 10 x 8 inches • oil on canvas Arlington, 2013 8 x 10 inches • oil on canvas Mission Tower, 2013 8 x 10 inches • oil on canvas Granada, 2013 8 x 10 inches • oil on canvas

LEFT: Cypress, Carmel [detail], 2011 24 x 30 inches • oil on canvas Collection of Doug & Nancy Norberg RIGHT: Red and Yellow Trees, 2009 20 x 16 inches • oil on canvas Collection of Dodie Little

LEFT: Jesusita, 2008 48 x 36 inches • oil on canvas Collection of Alex Benton & Michelle Hollum RIGHT: Along Camino Cielo with Storm Clouds #3, 2006 30 x 24 inches • oil on canvas Collection of Jimmy & Marlene Vitanza

Big Sur Path (Organic Rhythm Series #4), 2004 20 x 16 inches • oil on canvas Collection of the Artist

The Point at Refugio, 2003 20 x 16 inches • oil on canvas Collection of Charles Mitchell

Goleta Beach with Towers, 2002 20 x 30 inches • oil on canvas Collection of Ron & Mary Jane Steele

Sedgwick Overlook, 2002 30 x 40 inches • oil on canvas Collection of Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Barbakow

LEFT: California Beach [detail], 2009 60 x 45 inches • oil on canvas Collection of Tom Kenny & Susan MacMillan RIGHT: Maya Moderne, 2008 20 x 16 inches • oil on canvas

LEFT: Campo Santo de Maya, 2007 70 x 55 inches • oil on canvas Collection of Frank & Patricia Goss RIGHT: Mission with Palms Mission Santa Barbara, 2006 40 x 30 inches • oil on canvas Collection of Will & Carole Jennings

I have been painting the dancing buildings for some time now. The buildings are balanced precariously in landscape as a reminder that life is fragile. Not just the environment, but the social fabric as well. There is a sense of danger, but also a sense of community as each building is dependent on other buildings or other elements.

The enduring quality of our homes and buildings make us feel safe, but at any time natural disaster could shatter them and a change in the social order could alter our lives forever. That is not to say that everything should be safe; and one certainly does not want the composition to be static; there needs to be a sort of 'dynamic equilibrium.' - AP

LEFT: Dancing Mission, 2005 12 x 9 inches • oil on canvas Collection of Ross Bengel RIGHT: Emerson Avenue, 2004 40 x 30 inches • oil on canvas Collection of Colleen Lynch

THE ARCHITECTURE

LEFT: Sara's Seashells, 2010 14 x 18 inches • oil on canvas Collection of the Artist RIGHT: Yellow Tulips in Blue Vase, 2010 18 x 14 inches • oil on canvas Collection of Yvonne Reijnaert

The Green Glass Pear, 2008 16 x 12 inches • oil on canvas Collection of Michelle Hollum & Alex Benton

FROM LEFT: White Calla Lillies, 2007 12 x 9 inches • oil on canvas A California Collection Maria Elena's Cross, 2007 12 x 9 inches each • oil on canvas A California Collection Dia de los Muertos "Mask," 2007 12 x 9 inches each • oil on canvas

Orange Tulips, 2006 22 x 28 inches • oil on canvas A California Collection

Homage to Francisco Zurbaran, 2005 18 x 32 inches • oil on canvas Collection of the Artist

Still Life with Oranges, 2005 30 x 24 inches • oil on canvas

Pomegranate 1, 2, & 3, 2004 10 x 8 inches each • oil on canvas Private Collection

LEFT: Two Moons and a Star, 2008 24 x 18 inches • oil on canvas Private Collection RIGHT: Abstract Nude, 2011 24 x 18 inches • oil on canvas Collection of Andrew Ball

FROM LEFT: The Red Ladder, 2011 12 x 9 inches • oil on canvas Collection of Will & Carole Jennings The Magenta Scarf, 2011 12 x 9 inches each • oil on canvas Collection of Will & Carole Jennings Hand on Chin, 2011 12 x 9 inches each • oil on canvas Collection of Will & Carole Jennings

The Trees of Eden, 2011 48 x 36 inches • oil on canvas

Girl in a Red Sofa, 2005 18 x 14 inches • oil on canvas Collection of Frank & Patricia Goss

Portrait of a Song Writer, 2004 28 x 22 inches • oil on canvas Collection of Will & Carole Jennings

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ANGELA PERKO Sullivan Goss - An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA 100 GRAND Sullivan Goss - An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA ELEMENTAL: WATER Sullivan Goss - An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA FIGURING OUT CALIFORNIA Sullivan Goss - An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA ANGELA PERKO Sullivan Goss - An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA 100 GRAND Sullivan Goss - An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA 100 GRAND Sullivan Goss - An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA ANGELA PERKO: New Paintings Sullivan Goss - An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA SMALL WORKS Sullivan Goss - An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA ANGELA PERKO Sullivan Goss - An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA THE MISSIONS AND EARLY CALIFORNIA BUILDINGS Sullivan Goss - An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA ANGELA PERKO Sullivan Goss - An American Gallery, Montecito, CA IN SEARCH OF AMERICA: Art of the American Scene Sullivan Goss - An American Gallery, Montecito, CA [Salon] Maureen Murphy Fine Art, Montecito, CA

FRONT COVER: Woman with a Red Earing, Reading, 2013 60 x 40 inches • oil on canvas INSIDE FRONT COVER: The Transit of Venus, 2012 12 x 24 inches • oil on canvas INSIDE BACK COVER: Cosmic Dancer, 2008 18 x 14 inches • oil on canvas Collection of the Artist INSIDE FRONT COVER: Ginger Flower, 2004 10 x 8 inches • oil on canvas Private Collection

I love passion and music in all art and I always find it in Angela Perko's work. Some ten years ago, I walked into Lost Horizon Book Store and I came upon the two pictures that started my love of Angela's work. I took them home. I had to. Carole was pleased.

Ten years later, Angela's pictures are still singing, singing, and Carole and I are listening, listening, watching...

Just now I counted the Perko's in our home...

31...

Carole and I really like that.

Here's to you, kid!

- Will and Carole Jennings