November 2007
As if consumed by the force of their own love, the subjects of Gerard Perales' paintings appear to be physically vanishing into their own backgrounds. With his source in the Eros and tumult of classical love stories, his subjects have been reduced to warm impressions of physicality left on an ancient stone wall. They appear immobilized by the drama in which they've been caught up, limbs outstretched and their identities as either victims or lovers not immediately clear. As in chassical tragedy and myth, the power here lies in the ambivalence between the violent and the erotic.
Yet despite the stipped-down quality of his paintings, Gerard Perales seems to insist that what remains is more than a skeleton. What is essential is the flesh, the bulge of muscle, skin and gland. His wrok is not necessarily about pinpointing what is basic to us, but pointing the way for us to discover the vibrant power of love we all share.
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