Studio Visit: Parra

Until a few years ago graphic artist/ illustrator/ typographer/ designer Parra was the Amsterdam red-light district's best kept secret. Things are changing. With globally recognized work for commercial companies like Nike, Volkswagon, Zoo York, Colorblind, Footlocker, Ben & Jerry and beyond plus underground graphic work for labels like Rush Hour and Stones Throw (2007) and his own respected Rockwell Clothing line Parra is becoming recognized as one of the most distinct artists of our times. He's also increasingly being shown in cutting edge galleries. His first solo gallery show took place at London's Kemistry Gallery in 2005 with a show at Paris' Lazy Dog following in 2006 both were a huge success. In 2007 he's already had shows in Miami and Los Angeles and is now set to do his first show in New York (June 2007 at Reed Space). Parra has created all the visuals for Demon Days since it's inception in 2005. In 2007 he started designing a special ongoing series of Tarot Card designs for Demon Days events.

Limited quantities of Hella International 3/12-inch box set

Living with his painter/sculptor father, Parra grew up surrounded by colours, oil paint, wood, weird looking pictures & rubenesque paintings. A second influence was skateboarding. In the early nineties the skate scene was about sarcasm, post rebel feelings & sampling existing design, like a strange post pop art. A third was hip-hop - “ I was a little petty DJ back then spinning for cab fare“ sparking an early interest in cover art, still informing his aesthetic today. Music is the crux of Parra’s work, encompassing eclectic musical vibes from Donovan to Slayer. Almost entirely self taught - "A lot of looking & copying & changing & changing it again until it looked like something else & I forgot about the original," Parra is pure - The basic colour palettes (usually 2 or 3), beautiful hand-drawn typography & esoteric character creation are reminiscent of screen printed poster designs of the 1960s & 70s. If it wasn't for the subtle nudges towards modern culture, you may think he was working in the wrong century. Some of Parra's characters would feel just as at home in the ' Cat in the Hat' as they do promoting a scratching competition or on the cover of a Biz Markie record.

Parra x Stones Throw

Taking a few selected commercial design jobs every year he prefers to make the bulk of his output flyers, posters & identities for friends & admirers, making his work available to everyone to use, keep or discard as they wish. Beneficiaries have included shops Patta and Kids Love Wax, his label The Records van Rockwell, the music distribution company Rushhour Distribution, the band Rednose Distrikt, avant-garde rap artists, various Amsterdam events, Skateboard company Zoo York, record label Stones Throw, Flaunt Magazine, Dazed and Confused Magazine, various films & of course the club night Demon Days.

Parra's Rockwell clothing range is stocked in London, Tokyo, Berlin and New York.

[via Random Tits Art Show Reed Space New York]


[parra myspace] [parra: amsterdam's most wanted, xlr8r]

Le Le - Breakfast 2008 (Magnetron)