Ed
Parker
There is no mistaking the art of Ed Parker. It’s
quaint, charming, and cracked. That is, Parker developed a technique
for his amusing, colorful views of yesteryear that creates crackles
in the finished surface, lending an even more antique look to
his artworks. But even without the aging, Parker’s work
would have a vitality beyond its years, since his fanciful visions
of an unpretentious, unburdened life combines a sense of community,
a sense of humor and a superlative sense of style.
The sense of community was born from notable ancestry. Parker
is a descendant of a famous Revolutionary War Captain, who
faced the Redcoats on Lexington Green in 1775, where the historic
"shot heard round the world" was fired. The sense
of humor grew stronger over years working as a professional
folk singer in clubs and coffeehouses all over New England.
The sense of style was helped along by years of study at the
Massachusetts College of Art and the Rochester Institute of
Technology.
Parker secured a teaching fellowship at Rochester, taught
graphic design at Massachusetts College and illustration at
the Art Institute of Boston. He also served as art director
for Boston magazine as well as several ad agencies in the
area. Meanwhile, he was also illustrating children’s
books, including Jackrabbit Goalie and Three Billy Goats Gruff—works
which won Awards of Distinctive Merit from the Society of
Illustrators more than three times, in addition to an ongoing
roster of major commerical clients.
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