Dinner with Artists: Ignacio Alperin and Pyro Rodriguez

Ignacio Alperin is an international artist based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The inspiration for his colorful and exuberant paintings comes from jazz greats like Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, Charles Brown, Joe Pass and Kenny Clark as well as other legendary musicians including Frank Sinatra and Argentina’s Dino Saluzzi. Alperin’s love affair with jazz began in Australia where he was an avid follower of the jazz scene. The music’s complex rhythms and intertwining melodies inform his paintings and together, with improvisation, Alperin’s works are a fusion pushing the limits of color and shape within a marked abstraction. The result is dynamism and a never ending exploration of rhythm, beat and counterpoint. Gallery visitors are encouraged to bring their smart phones. The exhibition will include QR code access to the music inspiring each painting. His paintings have been exhibited in New York, Miami, London, Melbourne, Zurich, Lisbon and Argentina. Alperin is the Professor of Creativity and Innovation at the Universidad Católica Argentina (The Argentine National Catholic University) in Buenos Aires and he conducts private workshops and seminars on creativity in Spanish and English.

Chef Pyro Rodriguez was born and raised in New York City where he ultimately fell in love with the art of food. His training at the Institute of Culinary Education led him to work at highly regarded Manhattan restaurants including L’Absenth, Tao, Aquavit, and locally at La Playa and Absinthe. It was this love of food and family that brought him to Naples 5 1/2 years ago.