Philip Pearlstein enjoys an international reputation as a leading figurative painter. His academic career stretches from attending Saturday art classes to earned degrees from the Carnegie Institute in both studio and art history. Pearlstein was a contemporary of Andy Warhol and at different times they shared a Pennsylvania barn-studio and a residence in New York City. Like Warhol, he began his professional career as a graphic artist before joining the faculty at Pratt Institute in New York, and subsequently the faculty at Brooklyn College, serving as a distinguished professor until his retirement in 1988. Along with his painting practice, Philip cultivated an interest in printmaking- particularly silkscreen and lithography. In that capacity, he has worked with most of the major ateliers currently producing limited edition fine art prints: Landfall Press, Graphicstudio, Tamarind Institute, Pyramid Arts and others. In 1954, Pearlstein's work received particular acclaim from noted critic and theoretician, Clement Greenberg and featured in his Emerging Talent exhibition at the Kootz Gallery in New York. Since then, Pearlstein has become one of the most widely recognized visual artists of our time. His work is reproduced in scores of publications and held in major collections around the world. Philip's participation in the lecture series is in conjunction with an exhibition of his work Philip Pearlstein: Naked Strangers on the Wall at the Tweed Museum from March 23 to October 15, 2006. Note: A documentary film on Philip's life and art practice is currently being produced by UMD Art and Design faculty members Jen Dietrich and Sarah Bauer.