BIOGRAPHY
Alan Petrulis, a native New Yorker was born in 1954. After first studying ecology-anthropology at Queens College, he went on to earn a degree in in art and in 1979 he received a MFA in printmaking from BaltimoreÕs Maryland Institute of Art. Petrulis became a member of the Society of American Graphic Artists (SAGA) in 1999 and has worked closely with the New York Society of Etchers for many years. He has received a number of awards, most notably the Cannon and Ralph Fabri prizes from the National Academy of Design. His work has appeared in a number of solo and group exhibitions, and has been added to the permanent collections of The Brooklyn Museum, The New York Historical Society, The Museum of the City of New York, The New York Transit Museum, Syracuse University, The Newark Library, The Boston Atheneum and the Cahoon Museum on Cape Cod plus numerous private and corporate collections.
The landscape has been the most common motif of my work over the past forty years, my etchings are largely derived from photographs taken during walks in the literal and figurative footsteps of notable artists through New York City, the Hudson Valley, and up along the coast of New England. From this slow and deliberate process I have learned to address the landscape as one would a person, becoming aware of its moods and disposition. Although these works document, they are more about capturing a true sense of place. I do not begin with any preconceived notions or follow a particular tradition, but draw my inspiration from a more intuitive source. I believe it is the role of the artist to wake up those elements asleep within us, to generate a true transformation that will allow us to see past the illusions of everyday life. This process must first start with the heart. By looking beyond the picturesque and familiar expectations, one might learn to truly see with open eyes.
This is the only known photograph of Alan Petrulis.
(No credit has been given as the photographer
remains in hiding.)
CONTACT
Alan Petrulis may be contacted at: alan@nighttracings.com
Photographs are not available for sale at this time but all etchings may be purchased through:
The Old Print Shop
115 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10016
212-683-3950
Etchings of local scenes may also be found at the following galleries:
Jessie Edwards Studio
Post Office Building, 2nd floor
PO Box 89
Old Harbor, Block Island, RI 02807
401-466-5314
Willoughby’s
12 North Water Street
Edgartown, MA 02539
508-627-4116
Copyright 2009 Alan Petrulis All Rights Reserved