readartny.com – I have been inspired to write extensively about Peter D. Gerakaris’ work in the U.S. Art in Embassies (AIE) permanent collection, currently on exhibit at the Libreville Embassy in Gabon, Africa. This essay is meant as outreach to those who are unable to view Gerakaris’ tondos in situ. Furthermore, I seek to bring greater awareness to the U.S. Department of State Art in Embassies programming which engages a full spectrum of American artists: I believe this series of essays and interviews discussing Gerakaris’ work can play an integral role in increasing the awareness of. -Heather Zises (www.readartny.com)

Peter Gerakaris’ Terrarium Tondos (2011) are a series of five metaphysical oil paintings that offer lens-like perspectives into worlds comprised of botanical abstractions, cosmic fields and oscillating color. Executed on canvas that has been stretched over panel, and ranging from 16” to 24” in diameter, these paintings explore Nature-Culture tropes – themes and images that germinated from Gerakaris’ initial fascination with the organic reflections, distortions and subsequent transformation of his houseplants in various chrome appliances. Equating this to Claude Levi-Strauss’ notion of “The Raw into the Cooked”—the transformation of nature into culture—Gerakaris highlights invisible patterns in culture through a sophisticated reading of Nature. The hyper-graphic aesthetic makes references to modes of contemporary pop culture, visual propaganda and personal cosmologies of the artist.
The previous is an excerpt from an article by Heatehr Zises published by readartny.com To read the full article please visit:
https://art.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/a-galactic-botanic-voyage-essay-by-heather-zises-on-the-terrarium-tondos-by-peter-d-gerakaris.pdf