Ocular Serenade: Artwork by Peter D. Gerakaris

Artist Peter D. Gerakaris cites a favorite John Steinbeck quote that encapsulates the ethos of this exhibition: "It is advisable to look from the tide pool to the stars and then back to the tide pool again.” 

In Oculus Serenade, Gerakaris’s selection of vibrant tondo paintings, works on paper, and mosaic artworks focuses our gaze on the wondrous natural world. He describes these round compositions as “merging microscopic and macroscopic perspectives, which speak to the interconnectedness of life at all scales.” As luminous portals called oculi, the works present motifs like endangered botanicals, exotic avian species, topographical forms, and aquatic life. The artist has firsthand experience of these subjects through trekking in semi-tropical jungles, scuba diving amongst fragile coral reefs, or hiking along the Housatonic in Cornwall. 

Gerakaris's work has been featured in numerous exhibits around the world, and he has had art acquired by many institutional and private collections at home and abroad.  He has mounted several major projects for the Berkshire Botanical Garden (BBG), including the large-scale Spotted Owl Mosaic—a site-specific installation in the garden curated by Beth Rudin DeWoody in 2021 for the BBG’s permanent collection. Gerakaris was subsequently the BBG’s Featured Artist for Summer 2024 with his solo exhibition Microcosms.

Artist’s Reception on Saturday, January 17, 4-6 PM 

Registration requested for reception: https://cornwalllibrary.org/events/