Cover | Karen Pearle

Let’s Dance (2007, mixed-media mosaic; selected from hundreds of submissions from more than 50 local artists as the winner of The Monthly’s “Summer Theme” cover art contest done in conjunction with Pro Arts Open Studios.) Long intrigued by the passion of the tango, Pearle expresses the joy of partnership and life itself as a dance. Her work explores color and form in the ancient, newly revived medium of mosaic. Upon seeing a contemporary mosaic several years ago, she says, “a bunch of nerve cells must have fired in my being” because she hastened to study at the Institute of Mosaic Art in Oakland and has been making mosaics ever since. Pearle’s innovative approach to mosaic comes from her background as a painter and combines with her exploration of materials including stained glass, ceramics, mirror, shells, gems and recycled glass. Now an Oakland resident, Pearle received a Master’s of Fine Arts in painting from Queens College in New York. She is also a trained body worker in the practice of Chi Nei Tsang. For more information, go to www.KarenPearle.com or contact her at bctherapy@aol.com.