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HANCOCK - October 7, 2011
Maggie Parr’s
exhibit “Americana Distressed” opened at the Finlandia
University’s Reflection Gallery yesterday.
The exhibit consists of thirteen beautiful collages that
celebrate the golden era of illustration. Three oil
paintings of Carousel Horses are also included in this
great exhibit.
Parr discussed her work with the
Finlandia art and design students and other members of
the audience at the opening reception for the exhibit.
The exhibit at Finlandia is the first public
showing of this work. “This is chance for me to actually
figure out why I am doing this.” Parr said. “As many as
you know you first create the art work and then you
figure out why you did it.”
“I love Americana, I
love imagery I love theme parks, I love carousels. I
worked in theme parks my entire adult life. Why I
rendered them this way I wasn’t sure. We follow what we
enjoy” She said.
Parr designs trestle horses and
enjoys the craftsmanship the original horses. It’s
another recycling of the horse, someone created them,
someone photographed them and she has painted the horses
from those photographs.
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The same is true of the vintage advertisements that
someone had designed, then someone had created the
clipart that she uses to create her beautiful collages.
Parr describes of Lady Gaga, imitating Madonna, who
imitated Marilyn Monroe as an example of recycling of
art, each with their own interpretation, so that the act
of recycling becomes an artistic statement in itself.
A former Walt Disney “Imagineer,” Maggie Parr has
created artwork and designs for themed environments
around the world. Her work is featured in Disney Art
Galleries at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, on Disney
Cruise Lines ships, and included in the DreamWorks Fine
Arts Animation online gallery. Some of her most famous “Imagineer”
pieces are parodies of classical portraits.
At
the Reflection Gallery, Parr will showcase a selection
of digital and mixed media collage prints and paintings,
many of them with the theme, “Americana Distressed.”
Much of Parr’s digital artwork is rendered or perfected
in Adobe Photoshop. She explains that, “I ‘distress’ the
images, erasing and texturizing, layering several
together, until a new impression is created.”
Parr uses Photoshop as a tool and renders her
illustrations and paintings as if she were painting with
a brush and pallete. You always have to learn the
traditional mediums first in order to master digital
tools.
A former Walt Disney “Imagineer,” Maggie
Parr has created artwork and designs for themed
environments around the world. Her work is featured in
Disney Art Galleries at Disneyland and Walt Disney
World, on Disney Cruise Lines ships, and included in the
DreamWorks Fine Arts Animation online gallery. Some of
her most famous “Imagineer” pieces are parodies of
classical portraits.
Now a successful freelance
artist, Parr designs themed environments and
experiences, consumer products, and murals and portraits
for Walt Disney Imagineering and other companies,
including California Adventure, a Disneyland Resort, and
Americana at Brand, an extensive outdoor shopping
community in Glendale, California. Parr also illustrates
book covers and is developing a series of graphic
novels.
At any given time, Parr is working on
multiple client projects, most of them hourly-based
contracts for jobs that last from a few weeks to six
months or more. But she still manages to make time for
her own projects.
“Except for a few weeks a year
when I’m so swamped I have to work 12-hour days!” Parr
exclaims.
This is a must see exhibit and it is
open through October 30, 2011.
The Reflection
Gallery is located on the second level of Finlandia’s
Jutila Center campus, Hancock. The Jutila Center
community room is located on the ground level of the
building.
For additional information, please contact
Yueh-mei Cheng, professor of studio arts, at
906-487-7375 or e-mail
FinlandiaReflectionGallery@gmail.com.
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