Artist Reception: Tuesday, June 12th, 6 - 8 pm
Peggy Serdula's solo exhibition consists of portraits, abstracts, and pastels, which convey an immediate emotional impact. The artist works from spontaneous inspiration to capture each character"s primal core. Peggy has worked with illustrator Robert Grossman to create castings for a Claymation commercial. She also created the background art for a cable TV pilot for the world renowned theoretical physicist Dr. Michio Kaku.
Artist Statement
I paint primarily with carbon black acrylic on primed canvas to convey immediate emotional impact in my large and small portraits and abstracts. My intent is to create a dramatic portrayal of depth of character. None of these canvases originate from models or photographs – they are the result of spontaneous inspiration. Film noir has always appealed to me and perhaps influenced this color choice. While living in Japan, I was captivated by the pristine beauty of Japanese gardens. Their culture continues to resonate with me and within my work. I also absorbed the Pop Culture of Los Angeles while living there in the 70s. Finally, living in New York, I am challenged by the frenetic energy.
I want to capture a sense of intrigue with a glimpse or a gesture that says it all. My experience as a professional model with pose and movement has sharpened my aesthetic eye. Pastels and drawings from 1986-2012 are also presented in this first solo exhibit.
-- Peggy Serdula
Visit Peggy online: peggyserdula.wordpress.com
facebook.com/peggy.serdula
Deborah Johnstone - curatorial statement
New York City plays host to searing adversity and incomprehensible privilege. As wealth is hoarded and poverty surges, we spiral into a more complex and vexing existence. This is the legacy of the digital revolution – an epoch that has systematically destroyed face-to-face human contact. As an über-connected universe spreads like wild fire and a “wired world” becomes de rigueur, real human interaction is replaced with a sense of digital belonging to environments that never really exist – worlds so fleeting they are forgotten as quickly as they emerge.
In Serdula’s work, we are riveted in a real and resonant world – one that cannot be abbreviated into digital form. Her portraits confront us with a reality that has hitherto been hidden.
Lola explodes off the canvas to challenge our lethargy. She exists in a whirlwind of chaos that only she controls. We are invited to enter, but the threat of oblivion is too great. Rachel is more reticent. Her deep-set eyes wait for an event that will remove her from the edge of a precipice. Woman in Winter looks ahead with a resolute gaze. She has endured much but she possesses resilience – a steadfast determination that compels us.
Serdula’s austerity of palette allows her to pull us into a complex and fractured narrative populated by a diversity of emotional beings.
