Pat Perry’s Intricate Portraits of People Intertwined with the Natural World

Detroit-based artist Pat Perry renders intricate, fantastical portraits of humans and our relationship to the natural world—a dynamic that is sometimes harmonious, sometimes adversarial.  The lands of the north, colorful people, music, and the ordinary streets of the Midwest have always inspired him. Whether drawing or painting, Perry creates some kind of artwork every day. In between showing his art from coast to coast or working with an assortment of clients, Pat tries to travel as much as possible. Although Pat is happy to be able to speak and have an audience through his artwork, he does his best everyday to listen and learn from the world he lives in.

His multi-media drawings and paintings range from monochrome sketches handheld notebooks to multicolored murals on building walls. In all of his artwork, Perry balances finely worked details with sweeping gestural lines.

In a modern art era where so much is done digitally, Pat’s calculated and surreal illustrations bend back the paradigm by once again elevating the work elaborated by a traveler’s hands. His illustrations feels perfectly proportioned, almost as if in motion. Less reliance on symmetry and more focus on flow. There’s an energy about the continuity and vibrance of his images, whether the color scheme is brilliant or tempered, and his ability to satisfy a breadth of clients while still solidifying his fine art itch is admirable. Pat is dedicated to staying on his creative toes, which only means good news for those of us who know he’s on to something.

The artist described his art in an interview with Communication Arts: “I want to make paintings that just softly whisper to you the thing that you forgot.”

You can explore more of Perry’s illustrations, including a body of work based on a residency in Katmai National Park, on his website as well as on Instagram and Facebook.