PRESS RELEASE

October 30, 2013 (Miami, FL) – Primary Projects (“PRIMARY”), an ambitious platform for contemporary artists and curators, presents Contender, new works from Kenton Parker during Art Basel Miami. In a solo show dedicated to self-portraiture through sculpture, painting, installation and photography, the artist challenges the viewer with a swell of raw emotion. On location at Milk Studios (Los Angeles), Parker calls on long-time friend and photographer, Patrick Hoelck, to capture the madness that makes-up the artist’s multiple personalities. Parker tacked on the roles of producer, director, editor and subject for this exhibition, exposing his various states of being behind and in front of the lens. Contender is the most extensive, self-referential and personal body of work of Parker’s career, revealing a narrative that ultimately speaks to the human condition.

“Kenton Parker is a contender in every sense of the word,” said Books Bischof, PRIMARY founder and curator. “The purity of Parker is what makes him such a precious commodity. This exhibition contains an opportune moment to encounter the extensive character make-up of this uniquely creative eccentric.”

Parker’s self-portraits challenge the boundaries between artist and subject in a process where he meticulously sketches and storyboards each photo shoot of himself. Scenarios, among others, include fighting, purging, nudity and apathy – plots so universal and powerfully executed that in pieces such as “From Bad to Worse” or “We Both Knew This Was Coming,” the line between how the artist is feeling and what he is staging can be easily blurred.

In “Always Sorry,” a lush installation that takes on the form and function of a flower boutique, Parker creates a unique opportunity to engage audiences with a poetic, intimate, living object. The life cycle of the flower traces the growth, beauty, decomposition and death as a ritual of existence. On a journey that asks viewers to become acutely aware of their own humanity, Parker invites them to relive their memories in his safe space at PRIMARY.

Opens December 3, 2013 at 6 PM


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Kenton Parker (b. 1968, Grass Valley, CA) received his BFA from San Diego State University. Kenton Parker’s work addresses issues of self-improvement, beauty, and masculinity, expressing rebellion against societal pressures to be perfect or successful, while exploring the landscape as a metaphor for the body.

Parker’s studio practice is content driven, full of the charisma and charm of the artist’s personality, and able to tackle any media. Drawing from the psychological underbelly of humanity, Parker’s work develops from crude and witty musings incessantly scribbled on thousands of papers and gathered into an archive. These ideas are then translated into sculpture, painting, installation, videos, and murals. The overall result is a multitude of interpretations that tap into the dark humor of lifetime achievements and disappointments.

Through careful observation of his surroundings and meticulous sourcing, Parker cultivates a perverse ethos, where viewers can get a glimpse into his crude, yet contemplative persona, whose intellect is matched by sexual deviation, marked by his personal experiences navigating the glorious and troubling Los Angeles landscape.

Primary (Est. 2007) is a context and research-driven curatorial collective with an emphasis on public art. We thrive amongst the self-taught, working-class misfits, who explore the margins of a new Americana through pungent, human-focused narratives. Our program engages with the raw and uncanny, celebrating border voices, bootleg culture, and intergenerational commentary, connecting the new and unseen with broader audiences and evolving collections.

For further information, please contact info@thisisprimary.com