Robert Perless

Robert Perless was an American artist whose particular focus is kinetic art sculptures.

Robert Perless
Robert Perless in his studio
Born	1938 Brooklyn, New York
Died	September 8, 2023[1] Greenwich, Connecticut
Nationality	American
Known for	Kinetic Art
Notable work	Dream Weaver 2008, Sun Dagger 2004, Orion's Belt 2002,
Movement	Kinetic Art

Dream Weaver (2008). 20’ high; welded aluminum, holographic material. Howell Cheney Technical High School, Manchester, Connecticut.

Solar Wind (2000). 28’ high; stainless steel and polymer prisms. Wind and light interactive. Utah Arts Council, Salt Lake Community College.

Personal background

Perless was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1938. He studied Art and Engineering at the University of Miami in Florida.^{[citation needed]} In 1978 after working in cramped quarters in New York City, Perless determined to build an all-metal house and studio in Greenwich, Connecticut. He contracted architect John Ciardullo who designed a house and studio framed in steel, with aluminum exterior paneling, which Perless built himself, welding and erecting the structure and sculptural railings and cutting and hanging the exterior Alucobond panels. The large sculpture studio with 25 foot high ceilings is part of the main structure.^[2][3][4][5]

Kinetic Art

Perless was part of the Kinetic Art movement. He has created kinetic structures as public artworks for municipalities, post-secondary educational institutions as well as private sector commissioned art installations for various corporations. His works were discussed at the first International Kinetic Art Symposium February 9, 2013 in the presentation on the link between Kinetic Art and the generation of Electricity from the wind; They were also discussed during the Breaking The Barriers panel discussion and detailed in the presentation following the panel discussion on how his 40 years of Kinetic Art works, lead to the development of small wind turbines for use in urban environments.^[6][7]

Body of work

The works were created in his large Greenwich studio adjacent to his home, using industrial materials. His works were inspired by early 20th-century modern sculptors, including the Russian Constructivists, the Italian Futurists, and European and American masters who used new materials and the concept of motion and speed in art and life.^[8][9]

Selected sculptures

Orion's Belt, Corpus Christi, Texas.^{[10][11][12][13]}

Sun Dagger (2004), on the campus of Utah Valley University, Wasatch in Heber City, Utah.^[14][15][16]

Solar Wind, on the High Tech Campus of Salt Lake Community College.^[17][18]

Selected collections

His works have been acquired by museums and public galleries including:

• Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, Connecticut^[19][20][21]
• Boca Raton Museum of Art, Boca Raton, Florida^{[citation needed]}
• Oklahoma Art Center, University of Oklahoma, ^{[citation needed]}
• Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, Arizona^{[citation needed]}
• Stamford Museum & Nature Center, Stamford, Connecticut^{[citation needed]}
• Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City^[22]
• William Benton Museum of Art, Storrs, Connecticut^[23][24][25]

Selected exhibitions

Perless's work has been exhibited in solo and group shows, including:

• 2012 Sculptors Guild, Saks Fifth Avenue, New York, NY^{[citation needed]}
• 2008 In-Site Governor’s Island, NY^{[citation needed]}
• 2006 Robert Perless: Public Visions One-Man Show, Flinn Gallery, Greenwich, CT^{[citation needed]}
• 2006 Sculpture in the Park, White Plains, NY
• 2004 Art Omi International Arts Center, Omi, New York
• 2003 Sculpture Now, Stockbridge, MS^{[citation needed]}
• 2001 Space 2001, Bruce Museum, Greenwich, CT^{[citation needed]}
• 2000 12X12X12, Greenwich Art Society
• 1997‘94‘87‘78 Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, CT^{[citation needed]}
• 1995 Environmental Sculptures, Kukje Gallery, Seoul, Korea.^{[citation needed]}
• 1991 - 96 Andre Emmerich’s Top Gallant Farm Sculpture Garden, Quaker Hill, NY^{[citation needed]}
• 1991 ‘92 Paris-New York-Kent Gallery, Kent, CT^{[citation needed]}
• 1989 Connecticut Biennial Bruce Museum, Greenwich, CT^{[citation needed]}
• 1980 Taft Museum, Cincinnati, Ohio^{[citation needed]}
• 1976 Bonino Gallery, One-Man Show, New York, NY^{[citation needed]}
• 1975 Forum Gallery, New York, NY^{[citation needed]}
• 1972 Bernard Danenberg Gallery, One-Man Show, New York, NY^{[citation needed]}
• 1970 Light, Motion, & Sound, Hudson River Museum, Yonkers, NY^{[citation needed]}
• 1970 Eclectra ‘70 Pepsico, New York, NY^{[citation needed]}
• 1970 Whitney Museum, New York, NY^{[citation needed]}
• 1969 Galerie Simonne Stern, One-Man Show, New Orleans, LA^{[citation needed]}
• 1968 Bodley Gallery, One-Man Show, New York, NY ^{[citation needed]}