Steve Perkins Makes Art Anywhere (No Problem)

In addition to cooking and caring for his wife and two daughters, suburban dad Steve Perkins wears another hat: international artist.

Perkins, who works out of his home/studio in Rye Brook, makes art inspired by places he visits under the umbrella title Lifestyle Art Project (LAP). LAP started in 2006 when Jim Menges, a Bangkok collector, invited Perkins to come to Thailand for two weeks all expenses paid to make art. The plan was to trigger creativity through fresh stimuli on foreign soil, away from the day-to-day routine. After touring the steaming metropolis of Bangkok, Perkins was taken to an island, and finally to a country home with a large studio space furnished with art supplies.

“I was a kid in a candy store. During a very short time, I’d seen massive traffic jams, bathing in the streets, pristine beaches, farmers working the fields, and magnificent temples with people making donations to the Buddhist monks. It all came out naturally through my art. And fast!”Rather than waiting to allow the experiences to seep in, Perkins set his subconscious into high gear, producing 100 works of various sizes. As a patron, Menges was prepared to buy a couple pieces; he wasn’t expecting such a creative explosion. Menges offered to find a Bangkok venue for Perkins paintings. While Perkins returned to New York, he and Menges assembled a video and book (available on Amazon.com).

Perkins returned to Bangkok for the exhibition six months later. Since that initial trip to Thailand, Perkins has been commissioned to make his art in China, Taiwan, India, and most recently Istanbul, resulting in a personal perspective on globalization.

Local audiences can see Mai Pen Rai (No Problem) a selection of works from Lifestyle Art Project: Thailand at Serendipity Labs, co-sponsored by the Rye Arts Center, through September 20th.The opening reception will be from 6 to 9pm on Thursday, July 25th at Serendipity Labs, 80 Theo Fremd Avenue, Rye.