Joseph Peller

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Joseph Peller's paintings, works on paper, and sculpture explore the haunting notions of isolation and ambivalence inherent in his images of individuals caught in the unnoticed rituals of modern urban life.

The artist prefers working from life using a small circle of friends, and occasionally himself, as objects of exploration. His sketchbook drawings and oil studies, done "in situ," seek the "essential incident" which he supplements with his visual memory to inform the development of his larger work. Peller enjoys experimenting with a wide range of pure and mixed techniques involving oil, pastel, various printmaking procedures, drawing and sculpture.

The artist has exhibited in solo exhibitions in New York and Toronto, and has participated in group exhibitions in the United States and Canada and Europe. Peller's work has received recognition in national exhibitions and mention in several publications including The New York Times, New York News Day, The Wall Street Journal, and American Artist Magazine. He is the recipient of the Alden Bryan Memorial, the Dr. David Soloway Memorial Award, the Len G. Everett Award, and the National Sculpture Society Award for Figurative Sculpture. He has taught at the New York Academy of Art and currently teaches Painting and Composition at the Art Students League of New York.

Born in Toronto in 1953, Peller's independent development has generally favored private affiliation with artists whose body of work shared common themes with his personal vision. Initially, he studied with A.K. Scott, a Canadian artist and pupil of the distinguished American painters Charles W. Hawthorne, and George Bellows. While still in high school he received a scholarship from the Banff School of Fine Arts to study drawing with Geo Glyde. During formal study at the School of Architecture at the University of Toronto, he maintained a private liaison with Canadian painters Kenneth Forbes and Cleve Horne. His development continued in New York working with noted artists Thomas Fogarty, Jr., and Hilary Holmes at the Art Students League, and Ron Sherr at the National Academy of Design. During this time he received a Revson Foundation Grant from the Art Students League of New York, in 1985.

Joseph Peller is represented in public, corporate, and private collections in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Currently, he lives in New York City where he works out of his Brooklyn Navy Yard studio on the East River waterfront.

Represented by:
ACA Galleries - New York, NY
Roberts Gallery - Toronto, Canada