Bob Pejman
Encyclopedia
Bob Pejman, born 1963, is a Persian-American
artist
/painter
and then, by way of England
, moved to the United States
in 1976. Pejman began painting by the age of seven and pursued his art education through high school. However, despite his art instructor's insistence for him to pursue an education and career in art, Pejman decided to enter the field of business management. Upon graduating from Rutgers University
and after numerous years of employment at software companies such as Control Data Corporation
, Pejman secured a position as Vice President of Marketing at Information Resources, Inc.
, a global market research company.
In 1988, Pejman decided to return to the art world by opening a gallery in Short Hills, New Jersey
called Pejman Gallery Inc. As a result of his direct exposure to fine art and contact with European masters whom he was representing at the gallery, he decided to start painting again. In 1991 he began his two year formal studies with the Russia
n artist, Anatoly Ivanov. Later he attended the Art Students League of New York
as well as furthering his studies with the contemporary Impressionist artist, Ovanes Berberian. Among his art instructors, Ivanov
influenced Pejman the most by inspiring him to use the techniques of old masters such as Michelangelo
and Rafael. Employing these techniques, Pejman blends them with impressionistic colors to achieve a classical
but yet contemporary
style.
or Neo Romantic Realism, which is a style based on Classical Realism
. As described by Sarah Seamark, senior editor of Art World News in an article on Bob Pejman that was published in the November 2004 issue, "Inspiration for his style, that likens to romantic realism, comes from the Hudson River School
, the classic landscapes of Thomas Cole
and Frederic Church, the utopias of Maxfield Parrish
, and above all, from the Victorian
artist Lawrence Alma-Tadema
, known for his theatrical paintings of Roman ruins. While the influence of these masters is evident in Pejman's works, it is through his unique arrangement and depiction of the subject matters that he achieves a distinctive style. It is the effect of beauty and solitude together that creates this romantic mood that Pejman wishes to offer collectors of his work."
Pejman's style has been likened to theatrical set designs by many art critics. This design element together with his combination of classical
painting style and use of contemporary colors make Pejman's works notable in the school of Classical Realism
. Art critic Eileen Watkins, in her review of a Pejman exhibition in The Newark Star Ledger that was published on October 27, 1995 stated, "Many of these works resemble theatrical sets, with the nearer elements framing dramatic vistas." In describing one of Pejman's works, she goes on to say, "'Spring Time in Persepolis' features a ruined temple, its gray stone columns and walls carved with animals and soldiers. A slab in the foreground, however, displays spring flowers in a cracked vase, lush, dewy fruit and a colorful bird — the meticulous details suggest a 17th Century Dutch still life, but without the gloomy lighting." In a review and interview published in the March 1997 issue of Heritage Magazine, art critic and contributing writer Anna Ahkami describes Bob Pejman's style as, "Blending realism, impressionism and fantasy, Bob Pejman's paintings offer a modern look at the ancient ruins of the Mediterranean and Middle East. Fragments of stone temples, majestic villas and overgrown gardens, some of which no longer exist, are painted in direct, clear-cut detail. Pejman relies upon his vivid imagination to rebuild these relics showing the impact centuries of wind, nature and man's own destruction have had upon them. Using bright, contemporary luminescent colors viewers are welcomed into such lush yet forgotten places as Persepolis
, Babylon
and Pompeii
."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
/painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
Early years
Bob Pejman aka Babak Pejman was surrounded by art and music from an early age. The son of the an operatic composer and a concert musician, he spent his early childhood in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and then, by way of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1976. Pejman began painting by the age of seven and pursued his art education through high school. However, despite his art instructor's insistence for him to pursue an education and career in art, Pejman decided to enter the field of business management. Upon graduating from Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
and after numerous years of employment at software companies such as Control Data Corporation
Control Data Corporation
Control Data Corporation was a supercomputer firm. For most of the 1960s, it built the fastest computers in the world by far, only losing that crown in the 1970s after Seymour Cray left the company to found Cray Research, Inc....
, Pejman secured a position as Vice President of Marketing at Information Resources, Inc.
Information Resources, Inc.
SymphonyIRI Group is a market research company which provides clients withconsumer, shopper, and retail market intelligence and analysis focused on the consumer packaged goods industry....
, a global market research company.
In 1988, Pejman decided to return to the art world by opening a gallery in Short Hills, New Jersey
Short Hills, New Jersey
Short Hills is an unincorporated area located within the township of Millburn, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. It is a popular commuter town for residents who work in New York City...
called Pejman Gallery Inc. As a result of his direct exposure to fine art and contact with European masters whom he was representing at the gallery, he decided to start painting again. In 1991 he began his two year formal studies with the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n artist, Anatoly Ivanov. Later he attended the Art Students League of New York
Art Students League of New York
The Art Students League of New York is an art school located on West 57th Street in New York City. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists, and has maintained for over 130 years a tradition of offering reasonably priced classes on a...
as well as furthering his studies with the contemporary Impressionist artist, Ovanes Berberian. Among his art instructors, Ivanov
Ivanov
Ivanov may refer to one of the following:*Ivanov , list of real people with this last nameFictional characters*D. D. Ivanov, a fictional character in the Macross universe...
influenced Pejman the most by inspiring him to use the techniques of old masters such as Michelangelo
Michelangelo
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni , commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer who exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art...
and Rafael. Employing these techniques, Pejman blends them with impressionistic colors to achieve a classical
Classicism
Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for classical antiquity, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. The art of classicism typically seeks to be formal and restrained: of the Discobolus Sir Kenneth Clark observed, "if we object to his restraint...
but yet contemporary
Contemporary art
Contemporary art can be defined variously as art produced at this present point in time or art produced since World War II. The definition of the word contemporary would support the first view, but museums of contemporary art commonly define their collections as consisting of art produced...
style.
Artistic style and influences
Pejman's style from the late 1980s onward can be characterized as Romantic RealismRomantic realism
Romantic realism is an aesthetic term that usually refers to art which combines elements of both romanticism and realism. The terms "romanticism" and "realism" have been used in varied ways, and are sometimes seen as opposed to one another....
or Neo Romantic Realism, which is a style based on Classical Realism
Classical Realism
For Classical Realism in International Relations, see Realism Classical Realism refers to an artistic movement in late 20th century painting that places a high value upon skill and beauty, combining elements of 19th century neoclassicism and realism.-Origins:The term "Classical Realism" first...
. As described by Sarah Seamark, senior editor of Art World News in an article on Bob Pejman that was published in the November 2004 issue, "Inspiration for his style, that likens to romantic realism, comes from the Hudson River School
Hudson River school
The Hudson River School was a mid-19th century American art movement embodied by a group of landscape painters whose aesthetic vision was influenced by romanticism...
, the classic landscapes of Thomas Cole
Thomas Cole
Thomas Cole was an English-born American artist. He is regarded as the founder of the Hudson River School, an American art movement that flourished in the mid-19th century...
and Frederic Church, the utopias of Maxfield Parrish
Maxfield Parrish
Maxfield Parrish was an American painter and illustrator active in the first half of the twentieth century. He is known for his distinctive saturated hues and idealized neo-classical imagery.-Life:...
, and above all, from the Victorian
Victorian decorative arts
Victorian decorative arts refers to the style of decorative arts during the Victorian era. The Victorian era is known for its eclectic revival and interpretation of historic styles and the introduction of cross-cultural influences from the middle east and Asia in furniture, fittings, and Interior...
artist Lawrence Alma-Tadema
Lawrence Alma-Tadema
Lawrence Alma-Tadema, OM, RA was a Dutch painter.Born in Dronrijp, the Netherlands, and trained at the Royal Academy of Antwerp, Belgium, he settled in England in 1870 and spent the rest of his life there...
, known for his theatrical paintings of Roman ruins. While the influence of these masters is evident in Pejman's works, it is through his unique arrangement and depiction of the subject matters that he achieves a distinctive style. It is the effect of beauty and solitude together that creates this romantic mood that Pejman wishes to offer collectors of his work."
Pejman's style has been likened to theatrical set designs by many art critics. This design element together with his combination of classical
Classicism
Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for classical antiquity, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. The art of classicism typically seeks to be formal and restrained: of the Discobolus Sir Kenneth Clark observed, "if we object to his restraint...
painting style and use of contemporary colors make Pejman's works notable in the school of Classical Realism
Classical Realism
For Classical Realism in International Relations, see Realism Classical Realism refers to an artistic movement in late 20th century painting that places a high value upon skill and beauty, combining elements of 19th century neoclassicism and realism.-Origins:The term "Classical Realism" first...
. Art critic Eileen Watkins, in her review of a Pejman exhibition in The Newark Star Ledger that was published on October 27, 1995 stated, "Many of these works resemble theatrical sets, with the nearer elements framing dramatic vistas." In describing one of Pejman's works, she goes on to say, "'Spring Time in Persepolis' features a ruined temple, its gray stone columns and walls carved with animals and soldiers. A slab in the foreground, however, displays spring flowers in a cracked vase, lush, dewy fruit and a colorful bird — the meticulous details suggest a 17th Century Dutch still life, but without the gloomy lighting." In a review and interview published in the March 1997 issue of Heritage Magazine, art critic and contributing writer Anna Ahkami describes Bob Pejman's style as, "Blending realism, impressionism and fantasy, Bob Pejman's paintings offer a modern look at the ancient ruins of the Mediterranean and Middle East. Fragments of stone temples, majestic villas and overgrown gardens, some of which no longer exist, are painted in direct, clear-cut detail. Pejman relies upon his vivid imagination to rebuild these relics showing the impact centuries of wind, nature and man's own destruction have had upon them. Using bright, contemporary luminescent colors viewers are welcomed into such lush yet forgotten places as Persepolis
Persepolis
Perspolis was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire . Persepolis is situated northeast of the modern city of Shiraz in the Fars Province of modern Iran. In contemporary Persian, the site is known as Takht-e Jamshid...
, Babylon
Babylon
Babylon was an Akkadian city-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which are found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq, about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad...
and Pompeii
Pompeii
The city of Pompeii is a partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the comune of Pompei. Along with Herculaneum, Pompeii was destroyed and completely buried during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning...
."
National publication reviews and articles
- Art World News, May 2004, article by Sarah Seamark (senior editor)
- Art Business News, April 2002 article by Audrey S. Chapman
- The Artist's Magazine, July 1998 article by Debbie Hagan
- Newark Star Ledger, October 27, 1995 review of one-man exhibition by Eileen Watkins (art critic)