Perna was part of a generation of Venezuelan artists who departed from geometric and kinetic abstraction, turning instead to more autobiographical and intimate subject matter, and often involving friends, students, lovers, and collaborators in their work. This enigmatic assemblage, made from garden shears attached to a kickstand, incorporates emotion—perhaps an elegy—with the addition of a single rose. It was a gift to a friend, the artist Pedro Tagliafico.
Gallery label from Chosen Memories, April 30–September 9, 2023
