Pedro Paricio

Otros datos de interés

Pedro Paricio
Spanish, b. 1982
Painter Pedro Paricio was recently described by the prominent art critic Juan Manuel Bonet, former Director of the Institute of Modern Art in Valencia and the Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid, as "...one of the best, and most fresh emerging artists to come out of Spain". Paricio is beginning to enjoy an international reputation, following exhibitions throughout Spain, Europe and USA since 2006. His paintings are in private collections in Europe and the US.
Paricio says of his decision to be an artist, "...to be honest, the thing that attracted me was the freedom that society gives to the artist. When you are an artist, society lets you do things that, if it weren't for the art, you would be considered crazy. I chose art because I wanted a different life."
Perhaps the most definable characteristics of Paricio's work are his unique use of paint and vibrant colour. Recent themed paintings show a strong sense of playfulness, a fascination with colour and a love of paint. While Paricio's colours are bright and harmonious, his compositions are sometimes awkward and can evoke a sense of disquiet. His work makes strong references to graphic design, primitive art, and the work of 20th century artists, in particular Francis Bacon. Paricio cites Bacon, Beuys, Rothko, Van Gogh, Basquiat, Warhol, El Greco, Velazquez and Caravaggio in a long list of artists who have inspired him. The influences of all of these artists are plain to see in both his drawings and paintings.
Paricio was born and grew up in the Canary Islands and moved to Barcelona in his twenties, where he has had a studio since 2004. As a child, Paricio was always drawing and says that his parents knew he would be happiest if they gave him pencils and paper to play with. Paricio smiles when he recalls the moment his mother discovered her son's talent, when she found a "little fresco" he had painted on the underside of the living room table. Paricio studied science at high school and did not initially consider a career as an artist. He chose to study art at the last moment, just days before the university's registration deadline for the course. Paricio himself does not quite understand what made him change his mind, but he is confident now that painting is the most important thing in his life. In a recent interview in 2010, Paricio said, "... when I am happy, I go to see art. When I am sad, I go to see art. Art gives sense to my life".
Paricio completed his fine art studies at university in Barcelona in 2006, having previously studied in Tenerife and Salamanca. He takes a serious approach to art history and theory, studying and writing alongside his painting. While at university, he considered a career as a critic or curator, but in the end, decided that painting would be his sole professional pursuit. Paricio says that he has "infinite faith in painting" and that painting provides endless possibilities. He dismisses the thought of using other media or technology in response to current fashions in art.
In "Digital Painting" and "After Francis Bacon", two series of paintings the artist made in 2009, Paricio uses an unusual mix of hard lined, flat geometric and amorphous shapes in primary and jewel colours, alongside swathes of thick, acrylic paint to convey meaning. Works on paper made in 2010 include a sequence of haunting traditional ritual masks which are an interesting departure from other purely abstract coloured drawings and drawings of invented creatures and animals.
The titles and subjects of Paricio's paintings indicate an intelligent and curious mind with wide-ranging interests and a broad cultural knowledge. In the past, the artist has described his work as "Abstract Street/Pop Art" but now refers to his work as simply "painting". Paricio appropriates diverse cultural references in the titles of his paintings, which link them to a "shared cultural history". His subjects range from contemporary science to Hispanic folklore, to cinema, music, poetry and philosophy.
Paricio calls his paintings both synthetic and organic abstraction, and says that he "...represent[s] everything, yet nothing concrete at the same time". In an interview for the Pedro Paricio Art Show exhibition catalogue, reviewed by New York based writer and curator Miss Rosen in 2008, Paricio said, "I want to mix street art with traditional art to show the power of abstract art. I want to combine the ideas of Clement Greenberg with the style of Keith Haring.... We are caught in a system and live together in a comfortable world where we want easy culture. But I want to think and develop my mind, to free it from its confines. I want to open the secret door."