Parker Day: Tired to Attired

November 21, 2016 | in Magazine

"I create characters that are at once outlandish and familiar to question the truth of identity. Are they real people? Are they not? Does it matter? I would say no. I believe our identity is largely malleable and open to construction and destruction. But if it’s all a construct, then what is beyond identity? Of course I don’t have the answer for that. But it’s why I create.”

“The characters themselves are inspired by the idea of an American mythology and what symbols and archetypes exist within that, like the Lolita, the tough guy, the society lady, the outcast, and the whore. They’re all a part of us."

'The high impact, bright colors I use are straight from comic books. After all, I was raised in a comic book store! My dad, Bob Sidebottom, owned the Comic Collector Shop in San Jose, California. He specialized in underground comix such as Zap, The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, American Splendor, and of course everything by R. Crumb. I never opened them up because my parents said they weren’t for me and I was a respectful kid. I didn’t need to anyway—I stared at those covers and my tender young mind went to work imagining who these characters were and why they were doing what they were doing. Using my imagination to fill in those pages was far more rewarding."

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What an empowering time in history, when technology can be used as a tool to transform mere occupation into aspirational vocation. Dissatisfied with your static stance in life, but ambitious enough to make a change, trajectory can be altered, so let's use Parker Day’s swift professional shift as inspiration.

For a long time, the Los Angeles photographer felt creatively unfulfilled and yearned for more in her life. Then, a little more than a year ago, just for fun, Parker collaborated with a friend to dream up a quick scenario. The 35mm film image portraying an androgynous sleazy porn director holding a package of Wonder Bread in front of a vibrant crimson backdrop gave Day a feeling of immense joy, one she felt compelled to repeat. This was to be the first image in her series, ICONS, and a significant creative breakthrough for the artist.

Utilizing the Internet and social media as resources to locate and cast new actors for her ongoing theater, Day has since been on a rampage, recruiting an eclectic mix of players with inventive, offbeat costume designs and vivid backdrops. The series is infectious, and is now nearing 100 portraits of bizarre style and garb. Parker happily admits that her direction in life has changed considerably, feeling more right and enjoyable than ever. ICONS will be published in a monograph of the same name and presented in its entirety at Superchief Gallery in Los Angeles in February, 2017. —Austin McManus

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Originally published in the December 2016 issue of Juxtapoz Magazine, on newsstands worldwide and in our web store.

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