Peter Krasnow


Peter Krasnow, born Feivish Reisberg, was a modernist and colorist artist known for his abstract wood sculptures and architectonic hard-edge paintings and drawings which were often based on Hebrew calligraphy and other subjects related to his Jewish heritage. Krasnow lived in Los Angeles for most of his life.

Early life and education

Born in 1886 in Novohrad-Volynskyi, Ukraine, he was an apprentice to his father, who was an interior decorator. Krasnow emigrated to the United States in 1907 and graduated from the Art Institute of Chicago in 1916.

Career

Krasnow first exhibited in the 1920s. He settled in the Atwater Village neighborhood of Los Angeles in 1922, purchasing the land where he built his home and studio from Edward Weston, who was his friend and a fellow member of the early Los Angeles avant-garde. Krasnow lived there for over 50 years. His work was included in the exhibit that launched MOCA. He received a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship in 1977.

Exhibitions

In 2000, the Laguna Art Museum acquired over 500 pieces of his work.