Wayne Perry
Untitled (Before) and Untitled (After) (diptych), 2019
Serigraph, ed. 60
15”x11” - each

From the Utopia/Dystopia Portfolio Project

Individual print: $250
Pair of prints: $400

Wayne Perry’s serigraph diptych was created in part of the “Utopia/Dystopia” portfolio, curated by artist Miyo Stevens-Gandara. Miyo invited 26 artists to each pick two cards from a full deck, incorporating a diverse range of interpretations and ideas into a single, unified collection. Here, Perry uses the tourism postcards of Los Angeles to juxtapose the image of an idealized city of the past with rolling hills and orange groves with an idealized image of a modern city complete with sprawling homeless encampments.

As a native of Los Angeles, Perry finds his story intertwined with the large, complex, and ever-changing narrative of the city. However, he believes that many of these Los Angeles stories go untold due to the interacting forces of politics, culture, and history. To capture the conflict of the city’s identity he uses a variety of forms and colors to challenge conceptions of the monolithic Los Angeles experience and reconstruct new understandings of what it means to be part of the community. 

At present, Perry works as an artist, art fabricator, and educator, keeping his own studio practice. He has an extensive history in community participation, including working on over 50 public art projects in the area. He currently works as a consultant for the Los Angeles Metro Public Art Program, as well as a member of The Board of Directors at Self Help Graphics and Art, maintaining the role of instructing ceramics workshops. His work has been commissioned by an impressive list of institutions, including The Getty, The Wallis Annenberg Center for The Performing Arts, The Pasadena Playhouse and the California Community Foundation.