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| International artist chooses Montara By Stacy Trevenon [ stacy@hmbreview.com ] Published/Last Modified on Wednesday, November 5, 2008 2:24 PM PST Michael Parkes, whose name is synonymous with enervating bronze sculptures, fine art paintings and engaging stone lithographs, has made three visits to West Coast exclusive representative Borsini-Burr Gallery in Montara. But there’s something different about his next visit: Parkes has chosen Borsini-Burr as his only show internationally in 2008, a one-man outing this weekend. Parkes, a resident of Spain with a 40-year career as a magical realist painter, sculptor and stone lithographer, will begin the weekend with an invitation-only VIP preview Friday evening. He will be present at a public reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, which offers art aficionados a chance to meet him, and will give a one-hour lecture and demonstration on the art of stone lithography at 10 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 9. “This is an artist we love dearly,” said gallery owner Dianne Borsini-Burr of Parkes, whose work has been carried by the gallery since the early 2000s. “His art speaks to me. It’s what art is all about; it inspires the soul.” Parkes, who could draw before he could write, is known for the fantastical aura radiating from the queenly women, powerful big cats, mythical creatures or otherworldly architecture that dominate his artworks. From bronze sculptures that defy gravity, to delicate sketches, to stone lithographs that seem to exude magical realms, to archival-quality giclée prints, his work is sought by celebrities, galleries and private and corporate collectors worldwide. He has achieved a name in stone lithography. Invented in Bavaria in the late 1700s and largely thought of as a dying art now, it involves painting with a greasy substance and then ink on smooth stone, onto which paper is pressed to transfer the image. The resulting work reflects a visual texturing reminiscent of stone with a delicate shading of pigments. “He is a true master in what he does,” said Borsini-Burr. The Borsini-Burr Gallery can be reached at 712-2111. |