Bob Pejman - Artistic Style and Influences

Artistic Style and Influences

Pejman's style from the late 1980s onward can be characterized as Romantic Realism or Neo Romantic Realism, which is a style based on Classical Realism. As described by Sarah Seamark, senior editor of Art World News in an article on Bob Pejman that was published in the November 2004 issue, "Inspiration for his style, that likens to romantic realism, comes from the Hudson River School, the classic landscapes of Thomas Cole and Frederic Church, the utopias of Maxfield Parrish, and above all, from the Victorian artist Lawrence Alma-Tadema, known for his theatrical paintings of Roman ruins. While the influence of these masters is evident in Pejman's works, it is through his unique arrangement and depiction of the subject matters that he achieves a distinctive style. It is the effect of beauty and solitude together that creates this romantic mood that Pejman wishes to offer collectors of his work."

Pejman's style has been likened to theatrical set designs by many art critics. This design element together with his combination of classical painting style and use of contemporary colors make Pejman's works notable in the school of Classical Realism. Art critic Eileen Watkins, in her review of a Pejman exhibition in The Newark Star Ledger that was published on October 27, 1995 stated, "Many of these works resemble theatrical sets, with the nearer elements framing dramatic vistas." In describing one of Pejman's works, she goes on to say, "'Spring Time in Persepolis' features a ruined temple, its gray stone columns and walls carved with animals and soldiers. A slab in the foreground, however, displays spring flowers in a cracked vase, lush, dewy fruit and a colorful bird — the meticulous details suggest a 17th Century Dutch still life, but without the gloomy lighting." In a review and interview published in the March 1997 issue of Heritage Magazine, art critic and contributing writer Anna Ahkami describes Bob Pejman's style as, "Blending realism, impressionism and fantasy, Bob Pejman's paintings offer a modern look at the ancient ruins of the Mediterranean and Middle East. Fragments of stone temples, majestic villas and overgrown gardens, some of which no longer exist, are painted in direct, clear-cut detail. Pejman relies upon his vivid imagination to rebuild these relics showing the impact centuries of wind, nature and man's own destruction have had upon them. Using bright, contemporary luminescent colors viewers are welcomed into such lush yet forgotten places as Persepolis, Babylon and Pompeii."