Robert Perless is an American artist whose particular focus is
kinetic art sculptures.
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.[1][2][3][4]
Kinetic Art
Perless is 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.[5][6]
Body of work
The works are created in his large Greenwich studio adjacent to his home, using industrial materials. His works are 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.[7][8]
^Genocchio, Benjamin (June 15, 2003).
"It's Back to the Future for the Aldrich Museum". The New York Times. p. 1. Retrieved August 23, 2016. In the 1980's, the museum sold works by Louise Nevelson and Frank Stella, among others. The remaining collection includes pieces by Vik Muniz, Scott Richter, Nassos Daphnis, Robert Perless and Melissa Meyer, all of whom are taking their works back.
^Charles, Eleanor (March 20, 1994).
"Connecticut Guide". The New York Times. Retrieved August 23, 2016. Among the creators of the designs were Roger Ferris, architect; Robert Perless, sculptor; James Grashow, artist, and David Collins, curator of the Storm King Art Center.