There is so much about the visual language of Dutch artist Parra that has evolved over the years we have covered him, through cover stories and features. But the thread of color and shape is still there, as he has morphed graphic design and apparel character work of his previous years into a fine art painting practice using female and still-life motifs with elegant and controlled color palette. He still does the fashion, and his design work is as bold as ever, but there is something with his painting practice, on view at Ruttowski;68 in NYC, that is subtle and almost quiet, beautiful and more studio focused than ever.
Some motifs come in and out: the dog sculptures are here, the way he creates certain angles of figures is all here. But they seem like a game of telephone to his past, fragments coming through into something quite exciting and powerful. Parra is in full Serenade mode. —Evan Pricco
