Unusual in art: Michael Parkes and his magical realism

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Michael Parkes is the brightest representative of magical realism in the art world. The most unusual thing about Parkes' work is his ability to combine metaphysical images and spiritual elements into reality. His works are shrouded in a mysterious atmosphere that can be deciphered using Eastern philosophy and ancient mythology.

Fantasy of a talented artist

In the fantasy world of Parkes, all earthly laws are canceled, and space and time are in their own motionless communion. It is very tempting to talk about the artist's dream world, because with the freedom and audacity of his work he surpasses all our dreams and expectations.

Michael Parkes himself says that we were only taught to perceive our own world, but this does not mean that we should not enter other Universes.

Michael Parkes: biography of the master

The artist was born in 1944 in Sikeston (Missouri, USA). He studied painting and graphics in KansasUniversity, and after that for 4 years he worked as a teacher of fine arts at Kent State University (Ohio), as well as at one of the universities in Florida. But still, his main goal was to make art.

At the age of 26, he realized that he did not have sufficient technical skills. And in that moment, Michael Parkes made a decision that completely changed his life. He realized that to become a real artist, he must see the world. In 1970, the master and his wife set off on a long journey through Europe and Asia in search of a new spirituality. In the future, the philosophy and esoteric teachings of East and West will greatly influence the work of the artist. His images, borrowed from a number of wisdoms and embodied in the forms of his own imagination, are understandable and accessible to the viewer.

In 1975, after the birth of their daughter, the couple returned to Europe and settled in Spain in a small village on the Mediterranean coast. There the master lives to this day. And if initially Parkes created in the style of abstract expressionism, which was common among his teachers, then after a long journey he began to work in his own style, which fully allowed him to bring to life all the images that arise in his inner world.

The work of a talented artist

Michael Parkes, whose paintings are able to immerse the viewer in a meditative state of high awareness, became the creator of a new trend in painting, which is called magical realism. In his brightworld, even the fictional monsters that are needed to create harmony are beautiful and dreamy. All of Parkes' work is permeated with calmness and tranquility.

Artist Michael Parkes spends a lot of time creating his masterpieces, focusing on the little things. And this is not so common in modern times, where representatives of the art world are ready to constantly create to meet their financial needs.

A separate place in the work of the master is occupied by stone lithography, Michael began to get involved in it back in the 80s. Due to the fact that the process is very risky and there is a high probability of spoiling the work, modern masters practically do not trade in this type of creativity. But Parkes finds pleasure in this hard work, because the result far exceeds the effort spent.

Exhibitions and achievements of a talented artist

Michael Parkes had a large number of solo exhibitions in Switzerland, Chicago, Frankfurt. His work has also been shown in prestigious galleries in Paris, Amsterdam, New York, Los Angeles and other US cities.

In 2007, the realist Parkes became an honored guest and artist of the international exhibition "Venus and Women's Intuition", which was held in Holland and Denmark. In the same year, the work of a talented artist became the basis of the modern ballet Scorpius Dance Theater. The art of the master was revived in the choreographic productions and characters. Michael has an impeccable reputation and undeniable talent. He was not only the founderunique style, he managed to take a special place in the history of world art

The place of the artist in the history of art

The well-known art critic John Russell Taylor, who collaborates with the London Times and The New York Times, said that even if you compare the work of Parkes with the brightest works of other artists, the difference is immediately evident. His technique is more picturesque, and the imagination has no limit to the story. If we talk about the surrealist painting of the twentieth century, of which Magritte and Dali are prominent representatives, then there is always a sense of anxiety and stress in it. Initially, this was inherent in the creations of Parkes. But it was always clear that in his work he strove for calmness and silence, and in his latest works he managed to achieve this.

Today, Michael Parkes is considered the leading master of fantastic lithography and painting, as well as the most famous representative of magical realism. With his wife, he founded the publishing house Swan King International, where his creations are published and promoted. The master's works are a huge success and quickly fall into the hands of private collectors.