Renowned as the world’s leading magical realist painter, sculptor, and lithographer, Michael Parkes has achieved remarkable success in the modern art world. Today, he remains highly sought after in both the primary and secondary markets, with his works actively collected by celebrities, esteemed private collectors, and galleries around the globe. His oeuvre appeals to all ages.
It’s worth mentioning that his first solo show was held in Amsterdam in 1977. Since then, Michael Parkes has exhibited in renowned venues such as Basel Art in Switzerland, Art Chicago, Art Fair NY, Frankfurt Bookfair, Amsterdam Art Fair, Tefaf Art and Antiques Fair Maastricht, and numerous exhibits in various galleries in Amsterdam and New York since 1977.
Born in 1944 in the post-war era, Michael Parkes is a quintessential member of the hippie generation. While studying graphic art and painting at the University of Kansas, he developed his unique style. Perhaps his decision to abandon art and travel to India in search of philosophical enlightenment influenced this. Prior to his hiatus, Michael Parkes had painted in the commonly used abstract expressionist style among his teachers. However, after his period of contemplation, he began drawing and painting in a meticulous style of intricate depiction that enabled him to fully express his inner world of images.
Primarily realistic in nature, his subject matter has a magical quality, and this has defined his work as magical realism ever since.
Having extensively studied the esoteric teachings of both the East and West, Michael Parkes’ visual language draws from a range of wisdom, including the Kabbalistic and Tantric, but embodies forms from his own imagination that are immediately accessible. Here, strange creatures meet mysterious landscapes, blurring the line between fantasy and reality.
www.ftn-books.com has a great selection of Parkes publications availabe.
