COMMUNITY: José Parlá on the Abstract Language of Graffiti
Savannah College of Art and Design
04.25.2019“The one thing that I felt was a glue that united kids of all backgrounds was hip-hop culture. Graffiti became a language that was so abstract and camouflaged that it was one unified language.” —José Parlá
As an artist with roots in street art and a studio practice that is inspired heavily by action painting, abstract expressionism, and urban Wild Style, the work of José Parlá (b. 1973, Miami) is instantly recognizable. Today, Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery is opening its fourth solo exhibition with Parlá, Anonymous Vernacular, running through June 29, 2019.
In 2017, the Savannah College of Art & Design (where Parlá is an alumnus) mounted a solo exhibition Roots. In May, Parlá will be participating in the Glasstress exhibition organized by Fondazione Berengo as part of the 2019 Venice Biennale, in September, Parlá will be exhibiting at the Hong Kong Contemporary Art Foundation, and in the spring of 2020 Parlá will open his first New York museum solo exhibition at the Bronx Museum of Art curated by Manon Slome.
SCAD President Paula Wallace interviewed Parlá on his creative process for this video.