Rebecca Perehudoff
“My work has evolved in response to what intrigues me. When I am deep in the landscape, I look for the essence of the place and time: a feeling of awe, the beauty of light, a sense of isolation, or of nurturing greenery. Some days I am transfixed by patterns in clouds, trees, and earth forms. My travels and urban life have brought seemingly random elements into my work such as chairs, signs, or winged Renaissance-inspired figures. These elements echo or direct the mood of the landscape whether it be playfulness, foreboding, or stillness. At the same time, I am ever aware of the formal aspects of the work, so each painting is an interplay of abstract elements and nature.”
Perehudoff’s acrylics on canvas draw from traditional landscape painting while allowing glimpses of the human presence; road signs, chairs, and other random, ordinary elements highlight our separation from nature and our need for direction in navigating the landscape.
Born in Canada, Perehudoff has lived and painted for several years in the US. She studied at the University of Saskatchewan, the School of the Art Institute, Chicago IL, and the University of Illinois in Chicago. She maintains a studio in the outer Chicago area and has exhibited in Chicago, New York, Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver, and Paris.
“My current practice includes non-representational abstraction. As I progress with an artwork, each addition suggests the next based on a drive to achieve a certain sensation or aesthetic effect. The end result is unknown until it is achieved.”
Rebecca Perehudoff, Someone Removed the Guitar
Perehudoff draws inspiration from varied sources, from renaissance figure painting to abstract expressionism. She works in search of evoking a direct emotional response in the viewer.