The Art of It
Peregrine Icon , Gold leaf & gouache on panel , 25 in . x 25 in ., © 2024 . Peter D . Gerakaris
Microcosm
A self-described free-range child from rural New Hampshire , interdisciplinary artist Peter D . Gerakaris is known for using a vibrant style to honor endangered and exotic flora and fauna . His artwork and large-scale installations appear worldwide . He returns to the Berkshire Botanical Garden ( BBG ) this summer , where his Spotted Owl Mosaic was installed in 2021 , a permanent , site-specific piece that continues to delight visitors of all ages . “ It really doesn ' t become a complete artwork until it engages with its audience through the garden setting ,” says Gerakaris , who was married at BBG and says that his upcoming show is like coming home . The Spotted Owl Mosaic is translated directly from a painting in his Icon Series , works that involve the meticulous process of applying gold leaf to create luminosity reminiscent of traditional Byzantine icons . Gerakaris ’ Icon Series transposes endangered and rare species of flora and fauna into Neo-Byzantine iconography . Owls were his first Icon motif ; the series now includes aquatic life , orchids , and pollinators . Peregrine Icon , pictured here , is his most complex Icon painting to date . “ Society ' s disconnection with the environment is central to my work ,” says Gerakaris . “ The work strives to mend this divide and hopefully inspires conversation about how nature and culture can meaningfully converge .” He lives and works in Cornwall , Connecticut . His solo exhibition , Microcosms will include Icon paintings on panel , small mosaic fragments translated from details of existing Icon paintings , origami sculptures , and works inspired by topographies and native species of the Housatonic River Valley . Leonhardt Galleries at Berkshire Botanical Garden , June 7 – August 4 ; opening reception Saturday , June 8 , 5-7 p . m . — Laura Mars
112 // BERKSHIRE MAGAZINE Holiday May / June 2023 2024