José Parlá is an artist who assumes several roles in order to create his work; he acts as a historical transcriber, and a visual raconteur. As a transcriber, he records his experiences in calligraphic and palimpsestic code. Serving as a collection of textually chronicled memories, the markings appear on backdrops that resemble the distressed surfaces he encounters – the cosmetic results of passed time – city walls marred from layers of paint, old posters, and years of neglect. As a storyteller, Parlá presents a leitmotif of an enigmatic narrative, reaching to translate moments that only a visual dialogue can convey.
José Parlá, Character Gestures, 2011, Acrylic, oil, ink, collage, and plaster on wood panel, 60 x 96 inches
José Parlá
b. 1973, Miami, FL
Lives and works in Brooklyn, NY Biography View Selected Work
