Charles Owen Perry (American, born 1929)
A significant contemporary American sculptor, Perry approaches his art with a mathematical eye. His sculptures have a scientific complexity that is often obscured by the stunning elegance of his compositions. Initially trained in design (the master theorist/artist Josef Albers (German/American, 1888-1976) was his mentor at Yale), Perry was awarded the prestigious Prix de Rome in architecture in 1964. This was a decisive experience and encouraged him to concentrate on his sculpture. Speaking later of this decision, Perry stated: “When I set off to be an artist, I would avoid the arbitrary, esteem the orders of God in Nature, make things that were beautiful, try to make things that appeared to have no author, things you thought you had seen before; entwined with mathematics, geometry, topography, spinning, interlocking…”
Information courtesy of Neal Auction Company, December 2008.