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About the Book:
Supporting himself as an artist by taking a range of jobs, including art editing, curating, assisting photographers, clowning at children’s parties and game-keeping, Pedro Paricio started work in 2006 on a series of paintings titled ‘The Canary Paradise’. He described his approach as ‘abstract street/Pop Art’, providing ‘freedom from the structure of the mind and the computerized world’.2 In the cycle he integrates Clement Greenberg’s theories of Modernism with urban art, appropriating diverse cultural references; for instance, to Jack Kerouac’s novel The Dharma Bums (1958), to Dutch and Spanish football stars, and to films, including The Miracle of Candeal (2004). Appropriately, the series was exhibited at Ikara, a Barcelona skateboard shop, which also published The Canary Paradise (Ikara Editions, 2008), Pedro Paricio’s first book.
Supporting himself as an artist by taking a range of jobs, including art editing, curating, assisting photographers, clowning at children’s parties and game-keeping, Pedro Paricio started work in 2006 on a series of paintings titled ‘The Canary Paradise’. He described his approach as ‘abstract street/Pop Art’, providing ‘freedom from the structure of the mind and the computerized world’.2 In the cycle he integrates Clement Greenberg’s theories of Modernism with urban art, appropriating diverse cultural references; for instance, to Jack Kerouac’s novel The Dharma Bums (1958), to Dutch and Spanish football stars, and to films, including The Miracle of Candeal (2004). Appropriately, the series was exhibited at Ikara, a Barcelona skateboard shop, which also published The Canary Paradise (Ikara Editions, 2008), Pedro Paricio’s first book.
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About the Author:
Pedro Paricio currently divides his time between Tenerife and London. His paintings are held in a number of public and private collections worldwide – most recently the Norton Museum of Art, United States – and he enjoys an international reputation following exhibitions throughout Europe and the United States.
Pedro Paricio currently divides his time between Tenerife and London. His paintings are held in a number of public and private collections worldwide – most recently the Norton Museum of Art, United States – and he enjoys an international reputation following exhibitions throughout Europe and the United States.
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Miss Rosen’s Contribution:
The Canary Paradise includes an introduction by Miss Rosen.
The Canary Paradise includes an introduction by Miss Rosen.
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Excerpt from the Introduction:
“I don’t usually speak about things that are true and important to me very often,” reveals Pedro Paricio. “When I was younger, I talked about myself all the time until I discovered that people prefer to speak about themselves. It was then that I stopped speaking and started listening. It is much better this way.”
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“Born January 16, 1982 in the Canary Islands, an archipelago of seven islands of volcanic origin in the Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of Africa,PariciowasraisedinLaOrotava, a little village in the valley on the island of Tenerife (home to El Teide, the highest mountain in Spain). Though its 35,000 inhabitants may seem small by metropolitan standards, it is one of the largest villages on the island. While technology has provided a means for advancement,daily life is deeply rooted in the local traditions of the past, particularly those from the Venezuelan culture. “I always say we are closer to Venezuela than we are to the rest of Spain,”Paricio observes. “I don’t think of myself as Spanish. I always think of myself as a Canarian.”
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For Paricio, life in the Canary Islands is without stress. A tropical paradise, La Orotava offered mountains, beaches, surfing, good food, beautiful people, and relaxation. Less expensive than Barcelona, one does not need to earn a lot of money to live well. On the flipside, La Orotava offers little contemporary culture. “There are always a group of people trying to make new music and art, but there is little or no support from the public,” Paricio explains. “Those in my generation who want to experiment must leave the island and travel to Spain or Europe in order to do so.”
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A Word from Pedro Paricio:
“Once upon a time a totally unknown young painter is having his first solo exhibition in an art gallery/skateshop in Barcelona, and a highly respected New York based curator/editor/writer/
“Once upon a time a totally unknown young painter is having his first solo exhibition in an art gallery/skateshop in Barcelona, and a highly respected New York based curator/editor/writer/
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Artwork ©Pedro Paricio
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