Perryville: Bunnies, fairies, artists at Les Yeux

All eyes were on Les Yeux du Monde December 2 as the art gallery celebrated the publication of Lincoln Perry's Charlottesville, a coffee table book published by The University of Virginia Press. The book features the painter's offbeat take on UVA and Charlottesville as well as an essay and interview by his wife, writer Ann Beattie.

Unfortunately, the books hadn't arrived in time for the planned signing (they're being hand-bound in Hong Kong), but that didn't stop Charlottesville notables from coming out to pay their respects to the famous couple. Besides, Perry's most recent collection of work, Rabbits and Fairies, was on display, and there was plenty of beer and wine.

Perry is perhaps best known locally for Student's Progress, his mural in the lobby of Old Cabell Hall, but it was his provocative series of small paintings narrating John Updike's novel Rabbit Run that had eyes popping at Les Yeux.

Often compared to Poussin and de Chirico, Perry's pieces almost always tell a story about the people in them. However, like the best of his wife's fiction, the point of the story is often open to interpretation.

This time the two artists have turned their attention on Charlottesville to create a unique vision of our city not found in guidebooks. The crowd that showed up for the opening could have walked straight out of Perry's paintings or Beattie's stories.

Anne Beattie and Lincoln Perry celebrate the publication of their first book together.

UVA president John Casteen and wife, Betsy, enjoy Perry's Rabbits and Fairies .

Nancy and Chuck Beretz flank Les Yeux  director Lyn Bolen Warren.

UVA Press director of marketing, Mark Saunders, with his brainchild

Retired UVA history professor Paul Gaston and his wife, Mary, with former student, Charlottesville Mayor David Brown

Online mag Archipelago  editor and publisher Katherine McNamara with Jamie Ross