School of Art Newsletter Fall 07 vol. 2 issue 1

Correspondence: In Relation to Goya Joseph Peragine

The University of Arizona Museum of Art is presenting an exhibition of selected work from Atlanta-based artist Joseph Peragine’s series Hell on Wheels (2004-2006). The exhibition is presented in conjunction with Goya’s Mastery in Prints: Los Desastres de la Guerra and is the third in a series entitled, Correspondence: In Relation to Goya. Los Desastres de la Guerra is a series of 80 aquatint etchings that depict the horror and brutality of war; Hell on Wheels is arranged to complement Goya’s series, creating a dialogue between the two artists.

According to Museum, Hell on Wheels highlights themes in Goya’s suite through the “mechanics of military force, the spectacle of modern warfare, and the media representation of armed engagement”. Peragine’s series originated with a trip he made to the beachheads of Normandy where Sherman tanks have been installed as WWI memorials. The title of his series refers to the 2nd Armored Division, under General George S. Patton, who boasted of his troops as ‘hell on wheels’”. Peragine’s work also includes animations and related stills, which were inspired by the events of 9/11 and subsequent U.S. military engagement.

Peragine lectured to a packed Kress Gallery on October 25, presenting information on his earlier work and two years of extensive research into the history and career of the World War II Sherman tank. Executed in a variety of materials from watercolor sketches, paintings on canvas and cloth, cardboard, bronze and video, Hell on Wheels is on display through February 3, 2008.

Peragine’s work has been presented in art venues and film festivals throughout the country. Hell on Wheels, has been widely shown in solo exhibits such as Solomon Projects in Atlanta, the Cheekwood Museum in Nashville and several group exhibits, including Run For Your Lives at DiverseWorks in Houston.

In 2001, Peragine was honored with an invitation to exhibit his work in Beijing, China and participate in an international symposium on art and science hosted by Tsing Hua University and the National Museum of Fine Art of China. During that same year, the City of Atlanta commissioned Peragine to create a permanent installation for Hartsfield International Airport. The installation, Brute Neighbors, was singled out by Art in America magazine as one of the best public art projects in 2001 and earned Peragine an Atlanta Urban Design Commission Award of Excellence for Public Art in 2002.

In 2003, Three Small Deaths won the Juror Choice Award at the Seventh Annual ASU Art Museum Short Film Festival in Tempe. It was also an official selection at the 2003 Atlanta Film Festival.

Joseph Peragine received his MFA in painting from Georgia State University, Atlanta. He is currently Associate Professor in Drawing and Painting and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the School of Art at Georgia State University.