Posted by Edward Kurstak on
Linnea Pergola is a contemporary American artist whose work blends vibrant images of scenes from the modern-day hustle-and-bustle of cities with the quaint, nostalgic, home-grown simple realism of American folk artists like Grandma Moses. Pergola was born in Los Angeles in 1953 and has been exhibiting work at galleries including The Ambassador Gallery of New York, Martin Lawrence and others since 1989.
Pergola's subject matter is influenced by her time at Cal State University at Northridge, where she studied Cultural Geography and Art History, as well as Chinese Languages and History. This experience instilled Pergola with a love for a variety of cultures, and she began to travel extensively after college; she has spent ample time in Scandinavia and Poland, the Phillippines, Peru and various other countries. A worldly artist, her paintings often reflect and show appreciation for the cultural landscapes she's visited.
Pergola cites Georgia O'Keefe's use of color as an influence on her work, as well as N.C. Wyeth's illustrative style, and she credits one of her art instructors when she was young with teaching her to explore cross-media work, as well as pen and ink. It is with pen and ink that Pergola frequently achieves the detail, color contrast and distinctive textural quality of her most intricate works. She frequently begins a piece with detailed drawings utilizing India ink and pen, then adds oil paints to select areas of the marked-upon canvas or paper to infuse vibrant colors to her works. The effect is work that seems to pulsate on the canvas; Pergola's work could even be said to "move" as one gazes upon it.
With collectors throughout the United States and Europe, including the Margaret Thatcher estate, accomplished songwriters and athletes and others, and with a continued presence in the art world via various independent and group exhibitions, Pergola continues to push forward and create new work year after year.
Edward Kurstak is proud to offer more than a dozen authentic signed and numbered serigraphs by Linnea Pergola for your private collection. View the Linnea Pergola pieces we have available and then contact us today to inquire about how you can add one of these stunning works of art to your own collection.