The Spirit of Unity

The Spirit of Unity

Cover | Karen Pearle

The Spirit of Unity (2008, mixed media mosaic). “I began this mosaic during the presidential election primary,” writes Oakland artist Karen Pearle. “It is a prayer for unity in our country—my yearning for an end of divisiveness and a coming together. The red and the blue theme symbolizes the red and blue states. The angel-like figure, who has no specific color or race, is the spirit that goes beyond differences. I use an ancient motif—the singular figure of a holy person as a unifying principle—a visual prayer in challenging times.” Pearle’s 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”—and she hastened to study at the Institute of Mosaic Art in Oakland. Today, her innovative approach to the genre draws on her background as a painter (she holds a master’s degree in painting from Queens College in New York), as well as her passion for exploring three-dimensional materials such as stained glass, recycled glass, ceramics, mirrors, shells, and gems. Pearle is also a trained body worker in the practice of Chi Nei Tsang. For more info: www.karenpearle.com or bctherapy@aol.com.

Faces of the East Bay