BACKGROUND

1951 Born, New York, New York

1969–70 School of Visual Arts, New York, New York

1973 Tyler School of Art, Rome, Italy

1974 C.W. Post College, Long Island University, Greenvale, NY — B.F.A.

1976 Yale University School of Art, New Haven, CT — M.F.A.

GRANTS

1986 New Jersey Art Council Award

COMMISSIONS

Jericho 1, Wall Construction — Hubspot Company, Jericho, NY

Hyatt on Collins, Melbourne, Australia

Fairmont Hotel, San Jose, CA

Fairmont Hotel, Chicago, Illinois

Crown Building, New York, NY

Charles E. Smith Co., Crystal City, Arlington, VA

Charles E. Smith Co., 1101 17th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.

Amsouth Harbert Plaza, Birmingham, AL

John G. Shoosan Co., Quincy St. Station, Ballston, Virginia

Peter Kovner Residence, Millbrook, New York

COLLECTIONS

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C.

Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel

Erie Museum of Art, Erie, PA

Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, CT

The Remington Hotel, Dallas, Texas

Ludwig Collection, Aachen, Germany

Robert De Rothschild, New York, NY

A. Barry Hirschfeld, Denver, CO

Neil Jenney, New York, NY

Max Palevsky, Los Angeles, CA

Dr. Peter Ludwig, Aachen, West Germany

Ivan and Marilynn Karp, New York, NY

Morton Neumann, Chicago, Illinois

Sydney and Frances Lewis Foundation, Richmond, VA

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

1974

Lamagna Gallery, New York, NY

1976

Lamagna Gallery, New York, NY

1977

O.K. Harris Works of Art, New York, NY

1978

O.K. Harris Works of Art, New York, NY

1980

O.K. Harris Works of Art, New York, NY

1981

O.K. Harris Works of Art, New York, NY

1982

Tortue Gallery, Santa Monica, CA

1984

Acme Art, San Francisco, CA

1985

O.K. Harris Works of Art, New York, NY

1986

Tortue Gallery, Santa Monica, CA

Acme Art, San Francisco, CA

Architectural Inspirations — Venice and Rome, Hearst Art Gallery

1987

Helander Gallery, Palm Beach, FL

O.K. Harris Works of Art, New York, NY

1988

Robert Schoelkopf Gallery, Ltd., New York, NY

1990–91

Helander Gallery, Palm Beach, FL

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

1975

Report from SoHo, Grey Art Gallery, New York University, New York

Abstraction, Alive and Well, S.U.N.Y., Potsdam, NY

1976–78

International Realist Exhibition, Rothmans of Pall Mall, Ontario, Canada

1977

This is Today, Root Art Center, Hamilton College, Clinton, NY

1978

Expressions of the Seventies, Minskoff Cultural Center, New York, NY

Current Work from New York, Slippery Rock State College, Slippery Rock, PA

Artists Look at Art, Helen Foresman Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS; Central Michigan University, Mt.

Pleasant, MI

1979

Small is Beautiful, Freedman Gallery, Albright College, Reading, PA

Late Twentieth Century Art, Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

Corners: Sculpture Invitational, Elise Meyer Gallery, New York, NY

Directions, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C.

1979–81

Reality of Illusion, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA — Travelling

1980

Illusionism, O.K. Harris West, Scottsdale, Arizona

Radical Realism, Center for the Arts, Muhlenberg College, Allentown, PA

1981

Homage, Danforth Museum, Framingham, MA

1982

Architectural Images: Contemporary Paintings, Summit Art Center, Summit, NJ

The Constructed Image, Rockland Center for the Arts, West Nyack, NY

O.K. Harris West, Scottsdale, AZ

1983

Material Illusion / Unlikely Material, Taft Museum, Cincinnati, OH

The Great Illusionists, Ben Shahn Galleries, William Patterson College, Wayne, NJ

Leila Taghinia-Milani Gallery, New York, NY

The Fragment, Fragmentary, Fragmentation, New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CT

1983–85

Contemporary Trompe l'Oeil Painting and Sculpture, Boise Gallery of Art, Boise, ID — Travelling Exhibition

1984

O.K. Harris Artists, Royal Palm Gallery, Palm Beach, FL

Illusions, Greenville County Museum of Art, Greenville, SC

Contemporary Classicism, University of California, Los Angeles, CA

Games of Deception: When Nothing is as it Appears, Artisan Space, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, NY

1985

Artists of O.K. Harris, Helander/Rubenstein Gallery, Palm Beach, FL

Connections, Leila Taghinia-Milani, New York, NY

Beyond Antiquity: Classical References in Contemporary Art, DeCordova Museum, Lincoln, MA

The Classical Tradition in Recent Painting and Sculpture, Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, CT

Art & Architecture & Landscape: The Clos Pegase Design Competition, San Francisco, CA

Illusion: Between Life and Art, Museum of Holography, New York, NY

1985–86

More Than Meets the Eye: The Art of Trompe l'Oeil, Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH; Norton Gallery of Art, West Palm

Beach, FL; Tomasulo Gallery, Union County Gallery, Cranford, NJ

The Artists of O.K. Harris, Helander Gallery, Palm Beach, FL

Architectural Ornament: Is More More?, Fendrick Gallery, Washington, D.C.

Highlights of the Season, Helander Gallery, Palm Beach, FL

The Column Show: Metaphor and Motif, Fisher Gallery, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

Olympus Revisited, Summit Art Center, Summit, NJ

Uncovering the Past: Tribute and Parody, Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, CA

1986–87

New York–New York, Helander Gallery, Palm Beach, FL

1987

Mainstream America: The Collection of Phil Desind, Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, OH

The 51st Annual National Mid-Year Exhibition, Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, OH

1988

Classical Myth and Imagery in Contemporary Art, The Queens Museum, Flushing, NY

1990

Group Exhibition, The Foster Gallery, University of Wisconsin, Eau-Claire, WI — October 4–25, 1990

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Soho Weekly News, "On Art," John Gruen, Vol. 2, No. 13, p. 10, January 2, 1974

Artforum, "Reviews," Alan Moore, Vol. 12, No. 10, p. 78, June 1974

Domus, "Art in America: Saari, Hirshmann, Oppenheim," Gregory Battcock, p. 53–54, May 1975

Arts Magazine, "Peter Saari's New Paintings," John R. Clark, Vol. 50, No. 6, p. 58–59, February 1976

Newsday, "Art: A Realistic Course," Malcolm Preston, February 26, 1976

Village Voice, "Is Peter Saari Faking It?," Ray C. Smith, Vol. 22, No. 16, April 1977

Why Art, Gregory Battcock, E.P. Dutton & Co., New York, NY, 1977

Village Voice, "Form Follows Fiction," Peter Frank, April 24, 1978

Archetype, "Peter Saari," Andrew Batey, Vol. 1, No. 1, p. 33–34, Spring 1979

Directions, Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C., Howard Fox, 1979

Ocular, "Peter Saari," Vol. 5, No. 1, p. 81–83, Spring 1980

Artforum, "Reviews," Douglas Blau, Vol. 18, No. 10, p. 86–87, Summer 1980

Arts Magazine, "The Reality of Illusion — Eclipse of Realism," John R. Clarke, Vol. 55, No. 6, p. 158, February 1981

Antiques and the Arts Weekly, "Classical Themes in Contemporary Art Focuses of Danforth Museum Exhibit," May 8, 1981

Interview, "My Life in Ruins," Robert Becker, Vol. 11, No. 8, p. 40–41, August 1981

Late Twentieth Century Art from the Sydney and Frances Lewis Foundation, Richmond, VA, Frederick R. Brandt & Susan L. Butler, 1981

Los Angeles Times, "The Galleries: Santa Monica," October 29, 1982

The New York Times, "There's a Poetry in the Newest Office Portals," David L. Shirey, December 5, 1982

Issues and Images, "Peter Saari at Tortue," Kathy Zimmerer-McKelvie, March/April 1983

Contemporary Trompe l'Oeil Painting and Sculpture (catalogue), Boise Gallery of Art, Boise, ID; Dennis O'Leary, 1983

Material Illusion / Unlikely Material (catalogue), Taft Museum, Cincinnati, OH; Heather Hallenberg, 1983

Spokesman-Review (Spokane, WA), "Illusory Art," Tim Behrens, November 20, 1983

The Post (West Palm Beach, FL), "Is What You See All You Get From Illusionist Art?," Gary Schwan, February 26, 1984

Arts Magazine, "Material Illusion: On the Issue of the Ersatz Objects," Carol Connell-Kotrozo, p. 88–91, March 1984

New York Magazine, "How the Smart Money Decorates," Marilyn Bethany (photo), September 24, 1984, p. 56

Images and Issues, "Reviews: Peter Saari at Acme Art," Alfred Jan, p. 48, July/August 1984

Corporate ArtNews, "Ceiling Mural Adorns Office Building," September/October 1984

American Art Now, Edward Lucie-Smith, William Morrow & Company, New York, NY, 1985

More Than Meets the Eye: The Art of Trompe l'Oeil (catalogue), Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH; Foreword: Budd Harris

Bishop, 1985

Arts Magazine, "Peter Saari," Carlo M. Lamagna, Vol. 59, No. 8, p. 18, April 1985

New York Times, "Art: Trompe l'Oeil in Corona Park," Vivien Raynor, January 11, 1985, p. 22

Middlesex News, "The DeCordova Museum Reaches Beyond Antiquity and Highlights a Return to Classicism," Cate Coulacos, July

11, 1985

The Column Show: Metaphor and Motif (catalogue), Fisher Gallery, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 1986

Architectural Inspirations: Venice and Rome (catalogue), Hearst Art Gallery, Saint Mary's College, Moraga, CA; Introduction: Ann

Harlow, 1986

Uncovering the Past: Tribute and Parody (catalogue), Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, CA; Introduction: Patricia L. Boutelle,

1986

Los Angeles Times, "Galleries: Santa Monica," p. 16, January 17, 1986

Cook's, "Food Imitates Art," Mary Caldwell, p. 38–48, 80, May/June 1986

Westart, "Inspirations from Venice and Rome," August 22, 1986

Contra Costa Times, "Exhibit Pleasing, Thought-Provoking," Carol Fowler, September 30, 1986

Art & Antiques, "Sketchbook: Art and Cuisine," Charles E. Allen, p. 28, October 1986

Mainstream America: The Collection of Phil Desind (catalogue), Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, OH; Introduction: Louis

Zona, 1987

Art & Antiques, "Openings," April 1987

Finance (France), "Impressions de New York," Ninon Gaulthier, p. 26, April 13, 1987

Art & Auction, "Corporate Collections 1987: The Southland Corporation," p. 170, October 1987

A Question of Space: Architectural Inquiries (catalogue), The Rye Arts Center, Rye, NY; Introduction: Mary Delahoyd, 1987

The Historical Mode: Fashion and Art in the 1980s, Richard Martin and Harold Koda, Rizzoli, New York, p. 11, 26, 1989

Art After Art (catalogue), Nassau County Museum of Art, Roslyn Harbor, NY, 1995

New Art in an Old City: The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Collection, New Orleans, LA; Text: David S. Rubin, 2005