Christopher Parrott
Studio Visit | New York | 2021
“In my work the contemporary gallery space is an arena where history continually recycles itself. The past - represented in part by the fictional body of work hanging on the gallery walls - is in constant dialogue with the present. The figures themselves also reflect a relationship between past and present, as they embody various recurrent archetypes from Western cultural history - a history which is to me a treasure trove of beauty as well as a continuing story of perversity, folly, and unintended consequences.
I approach traditional methods of figurative painting with a contemporary sensibility, informed by my training and continued interest in abstract and conceptual art. As in contemporary internet-driven culture, exhibitionism and voyeurism are significant themes in my work. The figures represented are both performers and observers, often playing out incompatible roles. I'm interested in how individual identities are constructed and performed, and how personal dramas / transactions play out against the backdrop of larger historical forces.”
-Christopher Parrott
With your works being inspired by 'anything can happen at a gallery' (from Chris Burden being shot to Vito Acconci's "Seedbed"), have you ever considered being a performance artist? Why or why not?
I've never really considered doing it for real, but I enjoy playing a performance artist in my work. Many of the figures reenacting some piece of art history are me, like the two fighting figures in Where the Action is ("Stag"), or the figures doing an erratic take on Rodin's Three Shadesin "Three Shades."
When I first moved to New York, before I knew anyone, I would go to art openings in character as The Executive, an alter ego in many of the works...but that was just for the sake of research. I tried to channel Christian Bale's portrayal of Patrick Bateman from American Psycho, and it wasn't too hard to pass as a Wall Street executive. My interactions with people gave me all kinds of ideas.
Which artists have been a big influence in your work?
Technically, the two artists who have influenced me the most are probably Ingres and Seurat.
I'm inspired by a lot of art history, but there are a couple works that have been especially influential for what I'm doing now. One is Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights, and another is Rodin's The Gates of Hell. Growing up going to Catholic school, I was always fascinated by the idea of Purgatory; over time I became interested in depicting a contemporary gallery as a Purgatory-like space.
If and when you could create your greatest work of art, what would that be and where would you want it to be shown?
I'd love to show in more spaces with much older work, to put my paintings and drawings into dialogue with work from earlier periods. For example, I'd love to do something with the Rodin Museum in Paris or Philadelphia, the Fogg Museum in Boston, or the Frick Museum in New York. Probably my ultimate dream would be to exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum, to put together a show which could incorporate Greek sculpture, Renaissance drawings, French Neoclassicism - with all the art history references in my work, it could make for a fun viewing experience.
Studio visit | New York | 2021
Videos courtesy of the artist
To know more about the artist, please view or contact:
Christopher Parrott
cparrottstudio@gmail.com
Instagram: @chparrott