
About The Artist
ARTIST BIO
Deborah Perlman was born in Baltimore, Maryland and is currently working in South Florida. She is a graduate of Boston University (BFA, sculpture) and Cranbrook Academy of Art (MFA, sculpture). After graduate school, Perlman opted for a career in communications, enabling her to travel and use her art training in new ways. She returned to making fine art full time in 2018 and has exhibited regularly since then.
Influenced by her training, Perlman creates abstract geometric wall-mounted sculpture, interpreting the dynamics of three-dimensional form. Her ‘almost but not quite’ real spaces land somewhere between authentic and imaged and invite the viewer into the scene to discover where they find themselves.
Perlman uses a variety of materials, including paper, plastic, wood, aluminum wire, wire mesh and photographs. After constructing three-dimensional forms, she adheres them to the base, juxtaposing them to highlight their points of contact and the shadows they cast.
Her influences include 19th and 20th century African sculpture; the Constructivism, Geometric Abstraction, and Cubism (Picasso, Braque, Lipschitz) art movements; Giorgio de Chirico’s and M.C. Escher's ‘illogical perspective’ works; Louise Nevelson’s bas relief works; Joseph Cornell’s shadow boxes; and Frank Stella’s metal reliefs, among others.
ARTIST STATEMENT
ENTER A WORLD SOMEWHERE BETWEEN REAL AND IMAGINED
Depicting an ‘almost-but-not-quite-real’ world somewhere between authentic and imagined, my art celebrates ambiguity, sliding in and out of reality and compelling me to challenge previous ideas and established thoughts.
I find excitement and mystery in abstract geometric three-dimensional forms and spaces. Creating wall-mounted sculpture draws me in, challenging me to go beyond what I know and uncover what I don’t. It’s thrilling, yet at times unsettling, continually bringing me to new awareness and understanding. Simply put, the work frees my spirit.
My goal is to create spaces that challenge the senses, evoke emotion, and ask you to consider:
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What is it?
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Where is it?
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What do you see and feel?
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Do you find yourself in it, or not?
Inspiration has come from many personal experiences throughout the years. Recently, global issues such as climate change, prejudice and divisiveness are finding their way into my work.
I’m currently working with paper, wire mesh, flat aluminum wire, wood, plastic, and adhesive, and continually looking for new materials to integrate into each piece. Building three-dimensional forms, I adhere each element to the base, then juxtapose them to highlight their points of contact and the shadows they cast.
I invite you to glimpse into my interpreted world and find your place within it.
ARTIST CV
Solo Exhibit
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Fresh Squeezed, Morean Art Center, St. Petersburg, FL, 2023
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Gallery Ring (virtual exhibit), 2021
Selected Group Exhibitions
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Paper Works, SITE:BROOKLYN, NY
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Expo 42 (virtual exhibit), b.j. spoke gallery, New York, 2023
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Untold Narrative (virtual exhibit), Art Gallery 118, 2023
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Pine and Palms, Coral Springs Museum of Art, Coral Springs, FL, 2022
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Space, Art House Gallery, 2022
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32nd All Florida Juried Art Show, Martin Arts, Stuart, FL, 2022
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Revelations Exhibit, Visionary Art Collective, 2022
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Waves, Art and Climate Exhibit, Arts Warehouse, Delray Beach, FL, 2022
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New Contemporaries, Dodomu Gallery, 2022
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Summer Exhibit (by invitation - 6 works), ArtServe, Ft. Lauderdale, 2022
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Strictly Abstract, O'Hanlon Center for the Arts, 2022
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Within, Art-Fluent, 2022
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Geometric Gestures, Dodomu Gallery, 2022
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Elements, Art-Fluent, 2022
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Works on Paper, Maryland Federation of Art, Annapolis, MD, 2022
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Modes of Abstraction, Art Center of Sarasota, FL, 2021/22
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Light and Shadow, Maryland Federation of Art, 2021/22
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Art on BRIC Walls, Boca Raton Museum of Art, 2021/22
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Transformation, Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts, 2021
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Picking Up the Pieces, Collage Artists of America, 2021
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Changing Landscapes (5 works), ArtServe, 2021
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First National Exhibition, Denise Bibro Fine Arts (NYC), one of 20 selected artists, 2021
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Artists to Follow in 2021, Michael Rose Fine Art, 2021
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Leaders in Abstraction – Vol. 1, The Art House Gallery, Chicago, IL, 2021
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90th Annual Juried Exhibition, National Art League, 2020
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Artists Choice, Foundry Gallery, Washington, D.C., 2020
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Fresh Air Exhibition, Ridgefield (CT) Guild of Artists, 2020
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Continuum Exhibit, West Palm Beach, FL, 2020
Selected Honors/Awards
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Finalist, Expo 42, b.j. spoke gallery, Huntington, NY, 2023
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1st Place, Mixed Media, City of Pembroke Pines 17th Annual Art Competition
Pembroke Pines, FL, 2022 -
Honorable Mention, Art Extravaganza, Studio 18 in the Pines, 2022
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Honorable Mention, Abstractions Exhibit, Broward Art Guild, 2021
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1st Place, Mixed Media, City of Pembroke Pines 16th Annual Competition,
Pembroke Pines, FL, 2021 -
2nd Place, Art in the Time of Corona, Artist Table Online Gallery, 2021
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1st Place, Nature Exhibit, Grey Cube Online Gallery, 2021
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Honorable Mention, Abstract Exhibit, Art Show International, 2021
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Honorable Mention, Colorful Abstractions Exhibit, Fusion Art Online Gallery, 2021
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Juror’s Choice Award, Elemental: Earth, Fire, Water, Air, Maryland Federation of Art, 2020
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Best in Show, Winter Spectacular Salon, Broward Art Guild, 2019/20
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Honorable Mention and People's Choice Award, Tri-County Biennial Exhibit, FL, 2019
Publications
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Art Fluent, "Curator's Choice" Artist Interview 2023
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Circle Arts Foundation, Artist Interview, 2022
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Visionary Art Collective, February 2022, Artist Interview
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Art Seen Magazine, Fall/Winter 2021, Featured Artist
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Art Gallery 118, Featured Artist, 2021
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Visionary Art Collective, Featured Artist, 2021
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Artsy Shark, Featured Artist, 2021
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International Artist Magazine, 2020 Art Prize Challenge: Landscapes, Finalist, 2020