Catalog Essay:

Art, at times, responds directly to the space in which it is being exhibited. It may add or underline existing structures, or it may provoke a sense of unease in its presence. In the case of the latter, the viewer must question what in its inherent structure makes it incompatible with the surroundings.

R. Nelson Parrish’s work accomplishes both of the above. While the slick, hand polished artificial surface of his objects fit into contemporary architectural spaces, they also point subtly to a notion of contradictions. Colors concealed under layers of resin shine through the fragmented face of ostensibly unfinished wood planks. The clear straight lines of color hide – even negate- the elaborate process of coating and building up. This process takes months of layering, creating an added contradiction to the seemingly simplicity of the surface design.

While continuing with American West Coast trajectories of the 20th century – critics have compared his work with John McCracken, though one could argue if anything but the handling of the materials parallels McCracken’s work with that of Parrish – the artist has developed his own distinct formal language. Parrish’s style alludes to the interior architecture of the 1960’s and 70’s, automotive design, and to the revival of linear formality; and thus becomes more of a reflection of a young contemporary generation of artists. One may say the West Coast art scene of the 1960’s has found one of its disciples, whose work departs with new conceptual momentums and impulses: the notion of speed and sport have become an integral part of the making.

Parrish applies layer over layer of resin and embeds a line of color, or racing stripes, as he calls them, in each. One won’t find these colors in the grey November days of Berlin. Instead, one finds them in the earthen colors of the American West Coast; from Alaska to Baja, reflecting a particular landscape and its character. Yet, the natural materials and colors are juxtaposed by the artificiality of the making. Or maybe, to be precise, it’s more of a duality than an opposition – a dialectic, a mutually dependent structure Parrish establishes.

The artist refers to the narrow-high standing plank shaped objects as totems, suggesting more than just the similarity of shape. The emblematic characteristic of a totem makes the signifier for a venerated other. For Parrish, the totem becomes a symbol of his appreciation of nature and his concern for human interference in its order. Each step into the landscape, even a quick gaze, is a moment of interference, which reveals its artificiality.

When Parrish places his totems in sand piles, amidst furniture, or in clean neutral spaces, it is a testimony to the origin of the natural and the man-made. Through the process of transition and translation, the original purpose of the material moves and relocates in new interpretative environments; their function is re-read under new conditions and into new narratives.

While the color schemes and the raw materiality of the wood are recognized, one simultaneously acknowledges the elaborate, obsessive work it undergoes is man-made, and thus artificial. But where is the line to be drawn? How does one define artificial versus natural? And does the sterility of an urban interior space, as a new context, make the material itself something synthetic and artificial? The transparency of the resin seemingly conceals the natural texture of the wood, partially fragmented by stripes. Yet is it the wood that has been processed and the colors naturally reflect the color scheme of the West Coast? Is the work therefore then only a mere reflection of the original sources?

Parrish lays no claim on making a socio-political statement, nor does he aim for the deconstruction of an urban myth, yet he invites the viewer to re-think the notion of the boundaries between the original source and the designed, and the processed and developed object. Thus, Parrish’s work is less of a narration of impulses, ideas and concepts; but rather a line up of questions posed.

Dorothea Schöne
Curator and Art Historian in Los Angeles and Berlin

For Caroline and Steve Thompson, taking chances is nothing new. The couple opened their upscale indoor and outdoor furniture showroom in Santa Barbara’s less than fancy Funk Zone four years ago, and have steadily attracted customers with the

ir eclectic and appealing collection of home furnishings. The Thompsons’ talent lies in the mixing and matching of different styles of furniture for home and outdoor living spaces. Their showroom illustrates through ensemble vignettes how to combine and

mix different elements from a variety of floor coverings, fabrics, furniture, lighting elements and accessories. “We reset the showroom floor every five weeks, in hopes that each time you visit Cabana Home you will come away with a fresh experience and new ideas,” Steve told me.

Cabana Home’s outdoor living room area boast a collection of patio umbrellas, outdoor rugs, plant containers, fountains and pillows.  Just up the steps is the Thompsons’s intereior showroom, where the walls are alive with colorful works of art.

The current exhibition is the work of R. Nelson Parrish, a 29 year old Alaskan artist now living and working in Santa Barbara after completeing an MFA from UCSB.  Parrish’s work represents a new and expanded collaboration between the Thompsons and Edward Cella Art + Architecture.  ”We feel strongly about any artist represented by Edward Cella because he is so knowledgeable about emerging West Coast Artists.  We particularly have enjoyed getting to know Nelson because of the extraordinary detail and depth represented in his work and he is an all around great guy,” Caroline said.

Parrish is a former ski racer and now a surfer.  ”I am better when I am moving,” he says.  ”For me, fast is natural.  It’s calming.  For me,” he continues, “color is a language.  Color is the most natural and effective way to drive my thoughts home.”  Each piece represents an investment of time and sweat equity.  The process is a constant additive and reductive of layering, sanding, painting and polishing.  The end result is stunning.  The organic wood grain shapes and under-paintings meld fluidly with the contrasting, precise stripes.  The bold color seems to be contained only by the smooth, hand-polished mirror finish.  Cabana Home’s first one-man show, “From the Studio” runs now through June 24th.

According to Steve Thompson, “While the Art can stand alone and be intergrated into any decor, many people might be afraid to mix this medium with a more traditional setting.”  He believes Cabana Home and Parrish’s show might make them change their minds.

The opening reception was scheduled for the night of May 6th, but as ferocious sundowner winds fueled the Jesusitsa Fire, many attendees, such as myself, stayed away.  On Saturday morning, June 20th, Cabana Home will host an informal coffee with the artist from 10 AM to noon for those who missed out on the original evening event or would like to return for a second look and/or hear Parrish describe his technique and inspiration.

In the fall, Edward Cella Art + Architecture will present a solo exhibition of Parrish’s work in its new Los Angeles location.  For more information visit Cabana Home, 111 Santa Barbara Street (805.962.5900) or www.cabanahome.com

R. Nelson Parrish’s New Exhibition, From the Studio

Natural World and Man-Made Elements Collide in Wood and Fiberglass Art

Sunday, May 3, 2009
SHANNON SWITZER
On May 6, Santa Barbara artist R. Nelson Parrish, whose work has been featured in publications like Santa Barbara Magazine, will reveal his new exhibit to the public. From the Studio displays a collection of creations that stem from Parrish’s investigations of how the natural world and human-built environments collide and fuse.

A transplant from Alaska, Parrish has been immersed in the natural world from an early age. His art is influenced by the different degrees of wilderness he has experienced, from moose bedding down in his backyard during winters in Alaska to having to actively seek out interaction with nature while living in Southern California.

While obtaining his MFA from UCSB, Parrish developed an intense fascination with color. He began researching color theory and approaching color as a language of its own — a language that could transcend barriers. “When I was working with colors, I got the same feeling as when I would go ski racing, surfing, or driving fast,” Parrish explained. “My mind would get going a million miles a minute, but somehow it would also remain calm and peaceful. I wanted to translate these sensations, but traditional words were just an insufficient vehicle. Color, on the other hand, worked.”

Parrish now incorporates this color thrill in his work in the form of stripes. Every piece of his work has a unique pattern of colorful lines woven into the fiberglass. “When you put a racing stripe on something, it’s immediately faster,” he explained. “There’s a visceral reaction.” Parrish uses an intricate, labor-intensive fabrication process to achieve this effect. His works are crafted from native Alaskan wood and require the careful application of paints and numerous hand-rubbed coats of resin. Each finished piece represents months of work.

It’s also important to Parrish that his work has deeper resonance. “It’s got an underlying tongue and cheek to it,” he said. “Surprisingly enough, the wood I use is far more synthetic than the racing stripes I apply. The racing stripes are in their natural state, but the wood has been harvested, milled, and shaped into something unnatural.” Such layers of contradiction are what he wants people to walk away with after seeing his art. They symbolize the contrasts he sees in the world around him, such as when he’s surfing out at Rincon and sees dolphins breach 10 feet in front of him. “It makes me think, ‘There are wild animals right next to me; I’m on a board made of foam, floating between a speeding highway and oil platforms, but everything seems natural,’” Parish mused. “Our current landscape is filled with these dualities.” He strives to express that duality in every one of his creations.

Parrish’s work also contributes to the vocabulary of West Coast Minimalist art, contiunuing in the tradition of iconic artist John McCracken. Beginning in the 1960s, McCracken pioneered a new typology of artworks that were displayed off the wall and pared down to their elemental colors and forms, fabricated from high-gloss lacquer and fiberglass. With their acrylic and automotive enamels suspended within layers of colored translucent resins, Parrish’s works are a kind of remaking of McCracken’s minimalist objects.

Whether you come to analyze the theory behind his work or simply to enjoy the colors and aesthetics, Parrish encourages everyone to check out the exhibit. “In the end,” he said, “no matter which angle you are coming at it from, good art is pretty neat.”

4•1•1

From the Studio runs May 7-June 24 at Cabana Home, 111 Santa Barbara Street, in partnership with Edward Cella Art+Architecture. For more information, call 962-5900

Full Article at:

http://www.independent.com/news/2009/may/03/r-nelson-parrishs-new-exhibition-studio/

“‘I’m best when I’m moving,’ says R. Nelson Parrish of his peak creative mode, though he may as well be talking about his art-on view May 7th through June 28th in ‘From the Studio,’ an Edward Cella Art +Architecture group show hosted at Cabana Home. Mixed-media pieces that sample the dynamic colors and forms from the worlds of surfing and snow sports, Parrish’s works (from $3000) are emblazoned with stripes that at once evoke Alaska Native iconography and the So Cal surf culture. The Fairbanks-born Santa Barbaran gravitated towards art in the mid 1990’s while at the University of Nevada-after an injury kept him from his first love: alpine ski racing. He went on to pursue an MFA at UCSB, studying color theory until a few weeks before he graduated in 2006. It was then that he had the epiphany to converge his Alaskan youth with action sports. His final show didn’t make history, but it’s style delighted gallerist Edward Cella, who signed Parrish then and there.” – D.J. Pallandino

I suppose one of the best compliments you can receive as an artist, is to be told that “you don’t fit in.” You can’t be grouped, categorized. If this is the case, R. Nelson Parrish of Fairbanks, Alaska must hear favorable remarks every day – this master of “calmingly fast, colorful and big” art has been creating a genre all his own with his work in sculpture, woodworking, fiberglass, photography, painting, video… the list goes on and on… and on! His work may be best summed up as “a synergetic reflection of the contemporary landscape,” which is fine with Parrish as long as he doesn’t have to stay loyal to any one of his materials. He is more interested in “creating a visual voice,” than anything else.

A graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara (MFA) and University of Nevada, Reno (BFA), Parrish has an intriguing way of thinking when it comes to creating his pieces. He has to think outside the box – the average viewing life of a piece of art is 3-4 seconds. If you’re like Parrish (and are shooting for 10 seconds), you need to be locked into your work. He looks at it as if he’s “surfing the inside of a wave. When you are in the barrel, every thing is calm yet senses are heightened. The surroundings are tumultuous and heavy, but you are focused towards the end of the wave.”

His home state of Alaska also has a heavy of influence on his pieces, specifically the land itself. Just listen to how he describes this bit of Earth: “Metallic peach sunsets that last for hours, butted up against jagged glacier encrusted mountain blues with charred re-budding forest remains as foothills… Winter never becomes black; as the starlight bounces off of the slate gray snow. Full moons cast shadows as if daylight. When the Northern Lights come out to dance slow tango above, every time is sublime.”

Keep an eye for an R. Nelson Parrish solo show in the future, as well as the novel idea of a “mobile studio.” Moving from one area of the nation to another, focusing on crumbs of the American landscape weeks at a time to create art that is truly reflective of the terrain it came from. Nelson will also be hearing from me in the near future – he claims he can teach anybody how to do a standing backflip in 10 minutes (and what girl wouldn’t love a guy who can do that??). Learn more right now in the XXQ’s.

XXQs: R. Nelson Parrish

PensEyeView.com (PEV): Tell us about how you first got involved with art and was it always a natural fit for you?

R. Nelson Parrish (NP): It is hard to distinguish any particular moment when I decided to get involved with Art. It was just something I did. Art just seemed a better avenue to put a voice to my ideas. I am pretty tone def, and fumble with a piano. But when you put a camera or a paintbrush in my hand, it just made sense.

I would actually say it was not necessarily an easy fit. Dad took heaps of images, but more of a traditional documentary sense. Mom sewed heaps as well, but was pretty busy being a school teacher and raising kids. My family is pretty athletic and active in the outdoors. Taking the time to read or draw as opposed to going batting practice or fishing was slightly foreign. Becoming invested in art took quiet a few years.

PEV: Born in Fairbanks, Alaska, what kind of artistic styles were surrounding you that may have influenced your style?

NP: The obvious influence would be Alaskan Native Art, as its prevalence was abound. There is also a famous local painter by the name of David Moffet. He was the first person that I saw that put a “style” or interpretation to landscape representation. Outside of that, I would say that I was more influenced by the land than anything.

The view in Alaska is sea of vibrant color. The land is gripping with blues, greens, reds, browns; anything you can imagine. Metallic peach sunsets that last for hours, butted up against jagged glacier encrusted mountain blues with charred re-budding forest remains as foothills. Cool clear water rolls downstream to collect at glimmering silted river deltas. A chrome vein of oil on stilts bisects it all. In the fall, the tundra turns into the colors of a smithy’s forge. Winter never becomes black; as the starlight bounces off of the slate gray snow. Full moons cast shadows as if daylight. When the Northern Lights come out to dance slow tango above, every time is sublime.

PEV: Not many people tend to think of Alaska for its art. What are some misconceptions about your native state that you wish people would understand?

NP: That we do not live in Igloos. That has always been a pet peeve of mine.

Honestly, I think the biggest misconception about Alaska is that we are completely wild and there is a void of culture. That is simply not true. There is a rich history of Native Alaskan Art and Folklore. Coupled with the overlap of the Russian influence and the early days of the miners; there is exciting mixture.

Alaska gets the Fine Art as well. My Grandmother played violin in the Fairbanks Symphony. There is one of the finest glass blowing facilities in the country in Fairbanks. I think I was ten when my folks took my brothers and me to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera in Anchorage. The 400 mile drive was worth it. The audience was scattered with people in tuxedo’s and evening gowns sitting right next to others in Carharts and hoodies. Don’t forget Jewel grew up in Homer, AK, without running water.

For me, that is the beauty of growing up in Alaska. There is not much in the way of boundaries between high and low culture. I have a friend that is got his Masters at Goliard, and yet has no problem skinning a moose. My sister in law was an amazing ballerina before becoming a Denver Bronco’s Cheerleader. Now she is a lawyer and an amazing fisher woman back in Anchorage.

Alaska full of smart, motivated people, who do not mind getting their hands dirty. The state also requires a personal level of toughness. A similar level of tenacity needed to live in NYC or LA, just different. As opposed to dealing with taxi cabs and slugging out the 405, it’s plugging your car in at -20 F. The harshness of the elements is greater than most places. For most Alaskans, challenging those obstacles is the fun part.

I would venture to say that is the biggest misconception about Alaska. Most people cannot comprehend how living without cell phone coverage can be enjoyable. I say do not knock it until you try it.

PEV: What was your education brought you to (MFA) University of California, Santa Barbara and (BFA) University of Nevada, Reno. What were your earlier days like for you in college when you were just starting out?

NP: Again, somewhat difficult. Stereotypes exist; as there are certain re-occurring elements within certain community groups. I started college as a business student, on an athletic and academic scholarship. I began with a photography class and was not exactly immediately accepted. Something about liking to go running as opposed to smoking cigarettes did not mesh. Through the convincing of some of the Art faculty at UNR, I eventually tacked on my BFA, with a focus on black and white photography, with my BS.

PEV: What drove you sculpture over other genres?

NP: Currently, sculpture seems to be the best vocabulary. The woodworking craft aspect is enjoyable, along with forming and polishing the fiberglass. But, I would not consider myself a sculptor. I am constantly moving between photography, painting, video, and sculpture. Using the mediums keeps things sharp, as I am more interested in creating a visual voice as opposed to being wedded to the materials. Categories leave little room for maneuvering.PEV: Tell us about your workspace. What would we find if we walked into your studio right now?

NP: Right now, things are in transition. I have a spare room in the house where I do most of the painting and sketching. The odor is that of fresh cut wood, as there are several large canvases and planks waiting in the queue. Typically the walls are covered with line sketches, photographs, magazine clippings and color swatches. There may be the occasional hub cap and a surf board as well.

Because of the toxicity, all of the fiber glassing and polishing is done outside in a borrowed horse trailer. The trailer is black and sits behind the house in trees. It is a great thing that my neighbors are extremely nice. Sometimes I will be using the giant sanding wheel with the floodlights on at 1 a.m.

PEV: When you sit down work, what kind of “mind set” do you surround yourself in?

NP: Really depends. Unless I am editing photographs on the computer, I rarely am sitting. Music is a good thing. Probably the best way to describe the mindset would be surfing the inside of a wave. When you are in the barrel, every thing is calm yet senses are heightened. The surroundings are tumultuous and heavy, but you are focused towards the end of the wave. Some say it is the closest to time traveling one could experience: you are move forward in sync with your immediate surroundings. In essence, it feels as if you have stayed in the same place but time has passed. That is a curious way of thinking.

Most of the time I am thinking about that “wow” factor. How can I push, surprise and unexpectedly excite the audience? The average viewing life of a piece of art work is 3, maybe 4 seconds. I am shooting for ten. I want to keep the viewer in the same place, but move them, as time ticks along.

PEV: What is your take on today’s modern art scene? The good and the bad?

NP: I think the best part of the modern art scene is there is a multitude of variety. Most contemporary artists work within a multiplicity of mediums. Where as prior, most artists stuck to a particular craft. That makes for exciting times as possibilities are almost endless.

The bad part of contemporary Art is that artists as a whole are disenfranchised. By nature, artists are typically individualistic, though in the past there were schools of thought in which artists would subscribe. Currently, there is no one group or movement that is dominating and kicking ass.

PEV: If you could sit down with any artist, living or deceased, who would it be and why?

NP: That is a tough one. I would probably want to talk to Donald Judd as he has passed on. He is the founder of Minimalism. Judd is the only Artist that managed to purchase almost an entire town for art making: Marfa, Texas.

Other than that, a sit down with Jeff Koons or Takashi Murakami. Those guys are great.

PEV: What kind of music are you into now?

NP: As usual, I am all over the place. Amy Winehouse’s latest album has a great throwback feel and is soulfully blunt. Brad Pasely has some pretty good sounds as well. Kanye West’s newest is okay, but unfortunately, nothing in the rap or Hip Hop has been really sensational. I just revisited old Snoop, Pac, and WuTang albums. The Grey Album is a re-occurring favorite. Bret Dennen has a poignant way stringing lyrics together. My taste in music has always been eclectic.

PEV: Is there an up and coming artist that you think we should all be looking out for?

NP: I would have said Mike Goodwin, but he recently told me “He is breaking up with Art.” Eric Beltz is doing some amazing draftsmanship right now. Jessica Halonen, Chandra Bocci, and Ryan Chamberlain are some Artists to look out for as well.

PEV: How have your friends and family reacted to your career?

NP: The reaction has definitely been a mixed bag. Some are excited to seem me try an alternate career path, others are still wondering when I am going to get a “real job”.

I think the funniest thing about all of it is when you have an exhibit, people often balk at the asking price. They think it is a little steep. It may be, but for how may hours one puts in, I would be making better wages at the In’N’Out Burger as a shift manager.

PEV: Tell us about the first time you saw one of your works hanging on the walls of a show?

NP: It was scarier than hell. Every time you put your work up, you are opening up your soul up for public criticism. But, if it was not nerve racking, you are not invested in the work.

Of course, over time, you get used to it; even though the feeling never truly goes away. I am sure any athlete, actor, musician, doctor, lawyer; any one who’s profession is a “practice”, can relate. In this game, there is not the luxury of mistakes.

PEV: What’s something we’d be surprised to hear about R. Nelson Parrish?

NP: I can teach anybody to do a standing back flip in about ten minutes.

PEV: When you aren’t working, what can we find you doing in your spare time?

NP: I do not have spare time. I am either working, thinking about working, or working on thinking about working.

PEV: Your work has been called, “a synergetic reflection of the contemporary landscape.” How would you describe your style?

NP: Well, that description pretty much nailed it on the head. There is a lot to take in with my work: wood, racing stripes, fiberglass, resins, totem pole-esque surfboardish monoliths, with horizons of car culture and Minimalism. That is just the aesthetic; wait until you touch one trying to pick it up. Maybe sum it up as “calmingly fast, colorful and big.”

PEV: What advice can you offer to an artist who is debating whether or not to pursue a career in art?

NP: In order to motivate, I remind myself I have a better chance of playing in the NBA than making it in as an Artist while still alive. That makes me work twice as hard, as I love disproving non-believers. I suggest newcomers do the same.

PEV: What one word, best describes you?

NP: Challenging: both as a verb and an adjective.

PEV: Where do you think you’ll be in twenty years?

NP: The Guggenheim. Switzerland. Alaska. Outside of those three places: no clue.

PEV: So, what is next for R. Nelson Parrish?

NP: Short term: making more work. I am trying to get together a collection for a potential solo show in the fall and that takes a heap of time. Unfortunately, the work does not paint itself. But if it did, that would take all the love out of it.

As a side note, I would like to travel the country with a mobile studio. The idea would be to stay in one location for two to three weeks and make a piece, investigating how the American landscape effects and influences the work. I have a feeling making work in NYC is a bit different than Marfa, Texas and I want to find out. Tentatively, I am dubbing it ‘The Highway Project”, as I would be moving by car. Think Robert Frank, Jack Kerouac, Mark Rothko, John McCracken and Jay-Z stuffed into an Airstream and asked to make work while looking out the windows. The grant proposals are currently in the writing stages.

For more information on R. Nelson Parrish, check out www.RNelsonParrish.com

“R. Nelson Parrish’s 8-foot-tall untitled sculpture leans against the wall like a ladder, its sleek, fiberglass and resin coated surface recalling surfboards and John McCracken’s planks from the 1960’s. Candy-colored band, both translucent and opaque, cut horizontally across the vertical work, setting up jaunty visual rhythms that cause the eye to rebound, rather swiftly, back and forth, as you scan the stripes from to to bottom and back again. Parrish has left about half of the mass produced-board’s surface visible, suggesting that the cheap material – the lumber yard equivalent of baloney – has its own scrappy beauty, and that recycled stuff can be as elegant as anything else.”