NASHVILLE, TN.- Atlanta artist Joseph Peragine, whose contemporary works are inspired by his role as a father and concepts of vulnerability, will open Hell On Wheels—Painting, Sculpture and Animation by Joseph Peragine, at Cheekwood Museum of Art August 5 - September 25. An opening reception, free to the public, will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 pm Friday, August 5 with a gallery talk by the artist at 6:30 pm at Cheekwood’s Frist Learning Center.

Peragine, who lives and works in Atlanta, will exhibit works from his Bedtime Stories, Small Deaths and Sherman Tank series. Some objects have been created expressly for the exhibition, including a multi-channel video installation called Breathing Tank that will play on five monitors. Other objects will focus on Peragine's most recent works from his Sherman Tank series.

Intrigued with ideas surrounding vulnerability and protection, all of Peragine’s work is inspired by his role as a father. Threats, such as war and terrorism are addressed in a nuanced and thoughtful manner from the perspective of a father concerned about his children’s future.

"Joseph Peragine masterfully merges the universal and the personal in his work," says Curator Terri Smith, "His Sherman Tank series, for instance, references the history of the machine as a weapon, including its strengths and weaknesses. But in Peragine's hands the military tank becomes a mechanical metaphor for human protectors, including parents."

Peragine is continually seeking new ways to express his ideas about personal relationships in a chaotic world. Peragine's use of bunnies in Bedtime Stories is inspired by the old time "rabbit test" that was once used to determine pregnancy. The meticulously painted images show rabbits who are unknowingly near a source of evil, mirroring the artist's anxiety as he anticipated parenthood for the first time.

Peragine began his next series called Small Deaths after the private tragedy of his mother's death was soon followed by the public tragedy of 9/11. The images in Small Deaths continued Peragine's use of rabbits and other animals and focused on parents as protectors in an uncertain world.

The Sherman Tank series continues these ideas of protection in the nuclear family. While their appearance is menacing, the Sherman tanks of World War II were actually vulnerable to enemy fire. Peragine exploits this duality, drawing parallels between the nuclear family as a protective unit existing in a sometimes hostile environment.

Peragine was born in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1961. He completed his undergraduate work in fine art at the University of Georgia, and in 1995 received his MFA in painting from Georgia State University in Atlanta. Peragine, his wife and two children live in Atlanta, where he is an Associate Professor in Drawing and Painting and Director of Undergraduate Studies at Georgia State University.

Other recent accomplishments include his completion of a prestigious five year studio residency at the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center. Joseph Peragine's work has been exhibited in galleries, contemporary art spaces and museums throughout the country. In 2001, Peragine was honored with an invitation to Beijing, China, to exhibit his work and participate in an international symposium on art and science hosted by Tsing Hua University and the National Museum of Fine Art of China.

Also in 2001, the City of Atlanta commissioned Peragine to create a permanent installation for Hartsfield International Airport. The installation, Brute Neighbors, garnered Peragine a 2002 Atlanta Urban Design Commission Award of Excellence for Public Art. Additionally, Art in America singled out Brute Neighbors as one of the best public art projects in 2001.