24.5.84.123: Undid revision 1235389293 by 98.33.9.55 (talk)

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Undid revision 1235389293 by 98.33.9.55 (talk)

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{{Notability|date=December 2023}}
{{short description|American painter}}
{{for|persons of a similar name|Michael Parks (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox artist
| name = Michael Parkes
| image = Michael_Parkes_in_2012.jpg
| caption = Michael Parkes in 2012
| birth_name = 
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1944|10|12}}
| birth_place = [[Sikeston, Missouri]], U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality =
| movement =
| spouse = Maria Sedoff
| patrons =
| field = Painter, Sculptor and Stone Lithographer
| training =
| works =
}}
'''Michael Parkes''' (born October 12, 1944 in [[Sikeston, Missouri]]) is an American-born artist living in Spain who is best known for work in the areas of [[fantasy art]] and [[magic realism]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.magicalrealism.co.uk/view.php?story=91&issue=11|author=Fagan, Jenni|title=On looking beyond the veil: Considering Michael Parkes 'The Venus.'|work=Serendipity|issue=11|year=2007|accessdate=October 1, 2009}}</ref> He specializes in painting, [[lithography|stone lithography]] and sculpture. He also creates limited-edition [[Giclée]] images.

== Biography ==
Parkes studied graphic art and painting at the [[University of Kansas]]. As a student, Parkes was fascinated by various graphic processes, and he later became proficient in the difficult medium of the colour stone lithograph. Many of his recent works have been produced as Aurographics, limited edition [[giclée]] prints.

His unique style evolved in isolation, after a period in which he gave up the practice of art altogether and went to [[India]] in search of philosophical illumination,<ref>{{cite news|author=Lo, Kevin|title=A world of wonder: artist Michael Parkes traveled the globe in search of meaning and found it in the worlds he paints and sculpts|work=[[Art Business News]]|issue=2|date=February 2003|volume=30|pages=116(2)}}</ref> a location that he and his wife continue to visit annually.<ref name=abn-2005>{{cite news|title=Fantasy Art has a Real Audience|date=June 1, 2005|publisher=Art Business News}}</ref>

Early on, he painted in the generally [[abstract expressionism|abstract expressionist]] style common among his teachers. However, he later began to draw and paint in a meticulous style of detailed representation. This style is realistic in principle, but often uses magical subject matter, with imagery drawn from a range of traditions including the [[Kabbalah|cabalistic]] and the [[tantra|tantric]]. Strange beasts encounter mysterious winged women, good and evil fight out their eternal conflict.
[[File:Parkes-Gargoyles-Poster.jpg|thumb|''Gargoyles'', 1985 Parkes poster]]
Several of Parkes' works have been used as cover illustrations, including:
* ''[[Omni (magazine)|OMNI]]'' (Dec 1980, June 1980, Nov 1981)
* ''The Best of Omni Science Fiction'', No. 6 (1983)
* ''Omni Best Science Fiction One'' (1992)
* ''Omni Best Science Fiction Three'' (1993)
* ''Full Spectrum 5'' (1995, 1996)
* ''ParaSpheres: Extending Beyond the Spheres of Literary and Genre Fiction: Fabulist and New Wave Fabulist Stories'' (2006).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?Michael_Parkes|title=Michael Parkes - Summary Bibliography|publisher=[[The Internet Speculative Fiction Database]]|year=2008|accessdate=October 1, 2009}}</ref>
* ''Karma in Christianity - Charles Pradeep'' (2011)

A Parkes sculpture, ''Angel Affair'' (2004), was the Sep/Oct 2004 cover illustration for the Dutch-language ''Fine Arts Magazine'', which also contained a feature article on one of Parkes' exhibitions in the Netherlands.<ref>{{cite news|title=Select Focus: Michael Parkes|work=[[Fine Arts Magazine]]|date=Sep–Oct 2004|pages=front cover, pp. 92–93}}</ref>

Lisa Starry of Scorpius Dance Theater, Phoenix Arizona in 2007 choreographed a contemporary dance presentation based on the works of Parkes.<ref>{{cite news|author=Lengel, Kerry|title=Contemporary troupe finds the fun in dance|work=[[The Arizona Republic]]|date=March 14, 2007}}</ref> Also in 2007, Parkes was invited to exhibit a painting of his own vision of [[Venus (mythology)|Venus]] at an international exhibition of 35 [[magic realism]] artists in Denmark.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEc-8J7O0o4 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/XEc-8J7O0o4 |archive-date=2021-12-13 |url-status=live|format=video|title=Interview: Michael Parkes and the Venus Painting|website=[[YouTube]] |date=April 16, 2007|accessdate=October 1, 2009}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

In 2009, one of Parkes' paintings, ''The Three Graces'', is repeatedly mentioned in [[Dan Brown]]'s novel ''[[The Lost Symbol]]''.<ref>Beyer, T.R., Jr. ''33 Keys to Unlocking the Lost Symbol: A Reader's Companion to the Dan Brown.'' ReadHowYouWant.com, 2010. pp 60-63.</ref> Parkes was interviewed for his interpretation of the symbolic use of his art in Brown's book by Daniel Burstein.<ref>Daniel Burstein, Arne De Keijzer. ''Secrets of the Lost Symbol: The Unauthorized Guide to the Mysteries Behind the Da Vinci Code Sequel.'' Harper Paperbacks, 2010. pp. 288-293.</ref> [[Milliner]] Justin Smith has said his design for the horned [[headpiece]] worn by actress [[Angelina Jolie]] in the 2014 film [[Maleficent (film)|Maleficent]] was inspired in part by Michael Parkes lithographs.<ref>Moviefone Staff. [https://www.moviefone.com/2014/05/07/look-of-maleficent/ How Disney Brought Maleficent to Life -- Horns and All.] Moviefone, May 7, 2014.</ref>

==Philosophy==
Parkes, who has described consciousness as a laboratory to explore the physicality of evolution, finds value in meditation and admires the 19th-century Indian philosopher, [[Sri Aurobindo]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thethinkersgarden.com/fantast-in-focus-michael-parkes/|title = Fantast in Focus: Michael Parkes|date = 21 April 2015}}</ref>

==Awards==
*Association of Science Fiction & Fantasy Artists (ASFA) - Chesley Awards<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.artcyclopedia.com/awards/michael-parkes-chesley.html|title=Chesley Awards and Nominations: Michael Parkes (1944-)|publisher=[[Artcyclopedia]]|date=May 8, 2006|accessdate=October 1, 2009}}</ref>
**1994 Best Cover Illustration: Paperback Book - ''Omni Best Science Fiction Three'' (nominee)
**2003 Best Product Illustration - "''The Court Painter''" (nominee)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.asfa-art.org/chesley/2003/product/parkes.html |title="''The Court Painter''" Association of Science Fiction & Fantasy Artists (ASFA) - Best Product Illustration Nominee |date=October 2002 |accessdate=October 1, 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081123044458/http://www.asfa-art.org/chesley/2003/product/parkes.html |archivedate=November 23, 2008 }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Hans Redeker [translation into English by Michael O’Loughlin]. ''Michael Parkes: paintings, drawings, stonelithographs, 1977-1992'' Steltman Editions, Amsterdam (1993) 189 p.
* John Russell Taylor ''The World of Michael Parkes'' Steltman Editions, Amsterdam (1999), 200 pp.
* John Russell Taylor ''Michael Parkes: Stone Lithographs - Bronze Sculptures'' Steltman Editions, Amsterdam. (November 1996)
* John Russell Taylor: "The Art of Michael Parkes" Small Press Distribution; First Edition (January 2006), 215 pp.
* Marcel Salome and Claus Brusen, eds. [https://web.archive.org/web/20090528221044/http://budsartbooks.com/prod.cfm/pc/DRM01H/cid/17 "Dreamscape"] Salbru Publishing, Amsterdam (October 27, 2006), foreword by Michael Parkes, 128 pp.
* {{cite book|author=Brusen, Claus|url=http://budsartbooks.com/prod.cfm/pc/VNU/cid/17|title=Venus and the Female Intuition|publisher=Salbru Publishing|year=2007|pages=96|isbn=978-87-990636-8-0|access-date=2009-05-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120223002921/http://budsartbooks.com/prod.cfm/pc/VNU/cid/17|archive-date=2012-02-23|url-status=dead}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090513032644/http://budsartbooks.com/prod.cfm/pc/DRM9HS/cid/17 "DREAMSCAPES: Contemporary Imaginary Realism 2009"] Publisher: Imaginary Editions (2009) 164 pp.

==External links==
* {{cite web|url=http://www.theartofmichaelparkes.com |title=Michael Parkes official site|accessdate=October 1, 2009}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parkes, Michael}}
[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century American painters]]
[[Category:American male painters]]
[[Category:21st-century American painters]]
[[Category:21st-century American male artists]]
[[Category:American fantasy artists]]
[[Category:People from Sikeston, Missouri]]
[[Category:20th-century American printmakers]]
[[Category:Painters from Missouri]]
[[Category:20th-century American male artists]]

Michael Parkes - Revision history

24.5.84.123: Undid revision 1235389293 by 98.33.9.55 (talk)