Joseph Park | Starling

June 6 - July 13, 2019

Opening Reception: June 6, 6 - 8 pm

Joseph Park’s new series of paintings titled Starling convey visceral energy through the artist’s colorful accumulations of fine lines. His prismatic pastel mark-making radiates with kinetic energy and finds eclectic inspiration in art historical movements and philosophies ranging from the Op Art of Bridget Riley, the Northwest mysticism of Mark Tobey and Morris Graves to the transcendental art-making ethos of Agnes Martin.

Park’s unique approach to representation and the inclusion of energy fields and multidimensional perspective enliven his subject matter. In his new series, any hint of realism becomes entirely unrecognizable through tiny dotted marks and layered swirling patterns. The exhibition title Starling metaphorically connects Park’s active gestures to bird “murmurations,” a phenomenon of shape-shifting avian flocks that move in rapid bursts of synchronicity. Park’s latest series share visual similarities with this natural wonder, with thousands of painted lines vibrating and expanding like living organisms.

Joseph Park draws inspiration from the history of art and often references historical movements or specific artists working in painting, photography and sculpture. Park creates prismatic portraits, figures and still lifes in addition to abstract works known for their color and surface. Park received his BFA from Cornish College of the Arts (Seattle, WA) and an MFA from California Institute of the Arts (Valencia, CA). He has exhibited at the Gwangju Biennale (Gwangju, South Korea), Henry Art Gallery at the University of Washington (Seattle, WA), Seattle Art Museum (Seattle, WA), Portland Art Museum (Portland, OR), and Tacoma Art Museum (Tacoma, WA). His work is included in the collections of the Seattle Art Museum and the Tacoma Art Museum. He is a 2005 recipient of the NEDDY Award from the Behnke Foundation and an Artist Trust Fellowship.