Paolo Arao

Border Walker

2018

Arao’s geometric sewn fabric paintings reference woven textiles and ethnic patterns from the Philippines, reinterpreted in kaleidoscopic fabric compositions. Fabric, a material that seemingly begs for human touch, is something we all have a level of familiarity with. Whether it is clothing worn or removed from the body, commercially bought, hand dyed, or recycled weathered canvas, Arao harnesses the tactility and multiple interpretations of fabric, often alluding to its central relationship to the human body. Precisely sewn together into tapestry-like wall works, Arao’s background in painting is evident in his mastery of color and composition. Paired with his conceptual link to his identity as a gay Filipino-American, Arao’s works simultaneously reach back through history and into the future as powerful symbols of representation and beauty. Gathered from disparate sources, carrying the psychic or physical traces of the hands that manufactured or the bodies that wore the textiles used in his fabric paintings, there is a legacy of nuance woven into the fibers of each work. Written into each color choice, use of various types of fabric, and overall composition, is a steadfast trust in process and faith in intuition. Regarding this body of work, Arao states, “ In my sewn paintings, the stability of geometric forms is disrupted through the use of altered patterns and asymmetry, creating a space that’s dynamic and shifting – much like the concept of queerness itself.” Flexible, open-ended, and bounding with vibrant color, Paolo Arao...

David B. Smith Gallery is pleased to present "RGBs and See I’m Okays," Los Angeles-based artist Emily Joyce’s second solo exhibition with the gallery. Presented in the gallery’s proj...

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"Hey Did We Scratch?" - Abstract Expressionist Composition Detailed and layered composition by Leroy W. Parker (American, 1941). This piece is divided into a checkerboard, with a variety of overlaid patterns and textures. There are several types of handmade paper applied to the canvas, likely made by Parker himself. Signed "Leroy Wheeler Parker" in the lower right corner. "#1" and an up arrow are written on verso. Tag on verso with artist info, title, media, and date. No frame, but the edges of the canvas are painted for a frame-less display. Leroy W. Parker (American, b. 1941) is an artist from Oklahoma who now resides in Lafayette, California. Parker earned his BFA in painting from the California College of Arts and Crafts in 1966, and then went on to earn his MFA in 1968 from the same institution. He is a Professor of Art at San Jose State University. He has taught classes in fine arts, life drawing, ceramics, paper making (which he instituted in 1984), and sculpture since 1969. Parker has also served on the State Art Commission for sculptural grants. One of his pieces is held in the San Jose Museum of Art. Selected Exhibitions: Drawings and Paintings - ACCI Gallery, Berkeley, CA - 1974 “Artistry in Clay” - Forge Patio Art Gallery, Lafayette, CA - 1980 “A Most Elegant Show” - Sunshine Art Gallery, Fair Oaks, CA - 1982 “Flora” - Harcourts Contemporary, San Francisco, CA - 1983 Idea Gallery, Sacramento, CA - 1985 “Multi-Media Man” - Sacramento Center for Textile Arts, Sacramento, CA - 1994 “The Art of the Family” - Works Gallery, San Jose, CA - 1999 Artist’s Statement: I was born in Eagletown, Oklahoma to Southern Baptist parents, and my father was a preacher. We were two boys and six girls in the family. The most mundane things were magical and special to me. I liked to draw, color, make things, and plant things. I loved the woods and the earth, and watching storms with thunder and lightning. We moved from Oklahoma when I was 11. In the late 1950s, I attended Oakland Technical High School where I met artist Sam Richardson...

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