| Issue #1 - March 30, 2007 |
“Recent Paintings” by Michael Paraskevas at Hampton Road
Art lovers familiar with Michael Paraskevas’ Dan’s Papers illustrations, children’s book drawings that accompany stories written together with his mother and creative partner, Betty Paraskevas, and bucolic seaside paintings that he sells in his Westhampton gallery, might not imagine that “Night Train,” is one of the artist’s most recent works. This enormous (8’ x 40”), dramatic, dark and deep painting is the centerpiece of Paraskevas’ one-man show opening at the Hampton Road Gallery in Southampton on April 7. Gallery owner Peter Marcelle had been trying to coax Mickey into displaying new work for a couple of years, and Mickey finally decided the time was right to devote energy and concentration to putting this show together.
This series of paintings was completed in a period of about eighteen
months, and represents a departure in many ways. Typically working in
fast-drying acrylic and on small to medium-sized canvases or on paper,
Mickey decided to spread his creative wings and tackle grander-sized
paintings in oil, which he had abandoned years earlier. The subject
matter of several of these figurative works, trains in motion, is also
a revisit, since he painted similar images in college.
“I really think this show is at the right time in my career and
my life,” he concluded. “I have so much more to say now.”
While reluctant to describe the significance of the trains, Mickey alluded
to movement, power and speed, and the journey of coming from somewhere
and going to somewhere. He more specifically mentioned the telephone
poles shaped like crosses. While he wouldn’t elaborate, that enigmatic
statement encouraged my curiosity.
The multi-layered meanings and strongly cinematic narratives are exciting
to see from this artist, who has enjoyed a long and successful career
as an illustrator. “I’ve always done editorially-based illustrations,
working on assignment with a fast turnaround. Using acrylics also makes
it a quick process, and I’ve gained a reputation for turning out
good work, even overnight, if necessary. Part of the challenge of illustration
is coming up with something creative within the parameters of the narrative.
And I’ve always respected it as an art form. But in this case,
with these paintings, I was freer,” he said.
He took his time to “just paint. As an artist, sometimes you just
want to paint.”
It is clear that his love for the medium and his desire to feed his
artistic impulses is very much alive. The work in this show is passionate
and expressive, darkly comical, bold and vibrant. And more than a little
eerie and intriguing. It will be exciting to see what other surprises
are on the walls of the Hampton Road Gallery next week.
– Robin Feman
Michael Paraskevas’ show, “Recent Paintings,” opens
April 7 at the Hampton Road Gallery, 36 Hampton Road, Southampton NY,
11968, with a reception for the artist from 6-8 p.m. The show is up
through April 21. Call 631-204-9704 for more information. And look for
Michael and Betty Paraskevas’ latest children’s book, Chocolate
at the Four Seasons, (Little, Brown Young Readers; 2007), to be published
in May.
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