 |
There is no mistaking the art of Ed Parker. It’s quaint, charming, and cracked.
That is, Parker developed a technique for his amusing, colorful views of
yesteryear that creates crackles in the finished surface, lending an even more
antique look to his artworks. But even without the aging, Parker’s work would
have a vitality beyond its years, since his fanciful visions of an
unpretentious, unburdened life combines a sense of community, a sense of humor
and a superlative sense of style.
The sense of community was born from notable ancestry. Parker is a
descendant of a famous Revolutionary War Captain, who faced the Redcoats on
Lexington Green in 1775, where the historic "shot heard round the world" was
fired. The sense of humor grew stronger over years working as a professional
folk singer in clubs and coffeehouses all over New England. The sense of style
was helped along by years of study at the Massachusetts College of Art and the
Rochester Institute of Technology.
Parker secured a teaching fellowship at Rochester, taught graphic
design at Massachusetts College and illustration at the Art Institute of
Boston. He also served as art director for Boston magazine as well as several
ad agencies in the area. Meanwhile, he was also illustrating children’s books,
including Jackrabbit Goalie and Three Billy Goats Gruff—works which won Awards
of Distinctive Merit from the Society of Illustrators more than three times, in
addition to an ongoing roster of major commerical clients.
|
|
