Calligraphic paintings and concrete sculptures from Cuban raised, Miami born, New York based Artist / historical transcriber / visual raconteur José Parlá.
“Parlá concentrates on the problems inherent in the change of context from the street to the galleries that few of the old school writers had successfully negotiated. A notable exception is, of course, SAMO, who later painted under his given name, Jean-Michel Basquiat. Parlá’s work takes off from and expands on these roots.” Joan Waltemath, Brooklyn Rail
An interview with José Parlá and Ann Binlot from The New York Times is available here and another from The Block Magazine here.
“I’m interested in bringing the energy of the city inside the gallery,” José Parlá
Some fantastic work from Belfast raised Brooklyn based Artist, Illustrator, print maker, designer and writer Oliver Jeffers. Oliver Jeffers’s diverse portfolio spans figurative painting and installation to illustration and picture-book making. He has exhibited in New York, Dublin, London, Sydney, Washingtone DC and Belfast.
As an Illustrator Oliver has worked with clients The Guardian, United Airlines, Lavazza Coffee, Newsweek International, Her Royal Majesty the Queen of England, and the Irish Times for which he received the Gold Icad Award for Illustration.
His successful picture books are published by Harper Colins UK and Penguin USA. Working in collaboration with Studio AKA, Oliver’s second book Lost and Found was developed into an animated short film narrated by Stephen Fry, which has received over sixty awards including a BAFTA for Best Animated Short Film.
“In some ways, Jeffers’s drawing is childlike – almost schematic – but it is never demeaning or condescending. Together, the plangent simplicity of the drawing and the powerful emotions of the boy make these stories genuinely moving. With a gentle humour and an airy touch, free of extraneous detail, he celebrates the emotional freedom of the child whose imagination is not yet weighed down by the limitations of reality.” Joanna Carey The Guardian 2009
His new book ‘Stuck’ (which I would recommend as a Christmas present to any little person) is available here and his paintings are currently on show in the ‘Holiday Group Show’ at the Bertrand Delacroix Gallery New York. His presentation for Offset in 2009 is available here.
surface & surface 