if you're interested in a drawing just send me a note:
joey (at) joeyparlett (dot) (com)
CV
Artist Statement:
I draw with simple materials—an average office gel pen or traditional quill pen and ink—which allows me a quick, direct approach when exploring ideas, and clearly displays the thought and work that goes into each image. I believe it’s important to show my process—the viewer should be able to see how the images are constructed, including the inevitable mistakes and experiments that comprise my creative thinking.
I enjoy complex, dense narratives—comprised of quirky and eccentric images—that invite the viewer to pause and explore the frequently bizarre interactions taking place within each piece. In many ways, this mirrors the experience of American culture, an interactive web of highly condensed sensory information—both highbrow and lowbrow—in constant competition for one’s attention. I attempt to reconcile contrasting, competing ideas by creating, for example, a sprawling battle scene that takes place simultaneously in the past and present, with embedded references to classical works, old magazines, American nostalgia, folk tales, google image searches, and contemporary pop and political culture.
Humor and simple fun are important. If the allegory gets too heavy, or the social commentary too looming, I strive to break the tension by asking myself strange questions; like, what would happen if Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall so long he partially hatched? I also include recurring characters, such as Beardman, who balance the seriousness with levity.
My ultimate goal is to produce artwork that can be enjoyed and accessed across all demographics—from students to auto mechanics to art collectors—by creating detailed, finely crafted pieces that are at once serious and humorous, lowbrow and highbrow. Imagine all the fun available across popular culture—on the internet, in video games, in old magazines—then add to that the heavy history of world wars and mankind’s quest to explore outer space, then put all of those elements in battle with each other on one piece of paper.