Spotlight Artist

Erik Parra

Pacific Coast
Artist profile photo
Featured in New American Paintings

Artist Statement

Scouring local resale shops and thrift stores, I mine vintage popular books and magazines for pictures and print ephemera related to the development of modern America. I generally look for familiar-feeling images that relate psychologically to modern experiences of space, and I am particularly interested in images fertile with possibilities for subtle narrative or contextual contradiction.

I cross-reference this found material with related, compositionally appealing images—pulled from the Internet—to create imaginative yet rigorous collages, drawings, paintings, objects, and installations. I try to open up new spaces for productive critical reflection by challenging easy readings of time and place. I advocate for viewing contemporary concerns related to notions of mobility and success through the lens of history. I like to think of this as sort of checking in on the present condition of the American dream.

Artist's Additional works

Works shared by the artist outside of their featured New American Paintings selections

Featured artwork
Featured artwork

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