Struggle in Paradise

“The paintings are astonishing, on fire with emotion. This book bears witness to the suffering of people experiencing homelessness, touching our souls and conferring immortality on the forgotten ones.”George Atwood, PhDProfessor Emeritus, Rutgers UniversityHave you ever wondered about the people who are homeless and living on the streets, how they got there and what happens to them? Stuart Perlman is a psychologist and psychoanalyst who has been in private practice for over 40 years and has devoted thousands of hours to painting homeless individuals in Los Angeles, California, illuminating their experiences and humanity. “These were some of the most interesting people I had ever met – loving, kind, accomplished individuals who had experienced deep traumas and misfortunes. I painted the life experiences that were etched on their faces. I use thick paint and my fingers to sculpt an intensely colorful representation of their life, pain, hopes and soul. In this book, ‘Struggling in Paradise’, are 35 oil-on-canvas portraits (of the 220 done so far) and some photos of where they live– each with a gripping biography chronicling their life stories as well as a narrative of my experience painting the forgotten and entering their world. I believe that because I have been a psychologist and psychoanalyst, I have been able to gain the trust of my subjects and get their deeper truth. So many of these individuals’ histories broke my heart. Many of the people are followed up years later to find out what happened to them and what helped.”The Faces of Homelessness portrait project has been featured in print in Column One of the front page of the Los Angeles Times, and in other national and international publications including The Guardian (London), Taipei Times (Taiwan), Vanity Fair Italia and a cover story in the Jewish Journal. Dr. Perlman was the recipient of the 2016 Los Angeles County Psychological Association’s Social Justice Award. In 2017, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors recognized him for his work on behalf of people experiencing homelessness.