John Parot

AWHRHWAR is pleased to present new paintings from Los Angeles based artist John Parot.

John Parot’s works reveal the tension between the darkness and light of Los Angeles. Parot connects the macrocosmic to the microcosmic. Atmosphere and Astrology. Optics and Occlusions. Light and Shadow. Sunny days are questioned. Nights are reveled in. The works on view depict moons, water, plant life. A series of moody blue moons in eclipse become hazy Jupiter-like planets, suns transform into oranges glowing in trees in the evening. The atmosphere of Los Angeles is rendered as a constellation, a universe, in paint on canvas.

Throughout his practice the artist utilizes a kind of synesthesia, his own invented language, as he transforms the light and impressions of Los Angeles into ornamental patterns, light reflecting on the water of a jacuzzi is transformed into a dazzling and hypnotic diamond patterns, dimly lit backrooms become mazes. Dark moods and emotions are planets. The blinding Los Angeles sun is a color study of reds on a green background. Shifting color with mood, planets contain horizons. In the artist’s most recent series, paintings like 3 Oranges Laveta Terrace 1.A.M. or 7 Oranges Melbourne Avenue 9.P.M., oranges on trees float in a deep patterned foliage. These luminous orbs become strange companions blooming or ascending only at night.

To accompany his exhibitions, the artist creates beautifully printed Xerox zines of original collaged images, usually printed with deep blacks on striking magenta paper. They often serve as hidden keys or guides to the entire enterprise. Composed of an archive of erotic images, interiors, original pages, a constant key code to the artists previous exhibitions. For this exhibition the artist will present a special reprint edition, JP48, which features silhouettes, disembodied heads filled with images of lightning, deserts, and fireworks.

In conjunction with exhibition, on the full moon of Wednesday, February 20, the artist will be present an evening of Parot Tarot card readings. Please email the gallery for details, and to schedule a reading.

John Parot (born 1970, Chicago, IL) received his B.F.A. from Northern Illinois University and M.F.A. from the Maryland Institute College of Art. Solo shows include Bellwether, NY; Jack Hanley, San Francisco; Locust Projects, Miami; Gallery 400, Chicago; Western Exhibitions, Chicago, and The Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. His work has been written about in Frieze, Time Out Chicago, and The New Yorker. John Parot lives and works in Los Angeles.