There are so many talented folks in the dance community… It’s an honor to give full support and help to spread the word!
OPEN THIS SATURDAY FEB. 26TH, 2011 @ 5PM! MIGUEL PAREDES FINE ART GALLERY
Miguel Paredes was born in New York in 1966 and is of a Latin American descent. He is an artist and self-proclaimed “urban impressionist” who combines the exhilarating sense of New York graffiti art with the skill and perceptiveness of a true exceptional artist.
Growing up 72nd Street in the Upper West Side of Manhattan, Paredes exuded early signs of artistic ability and accepted an invitation to New York City’s prestigious Fiorello La Guardia High School of Music and Art – immortalized in the musical and movie Fame – in the early 1980s. His studies at Fiorello coincided with the explosion of street culture in the city. Paredes drew inspiration from notorious pop artists like Andy Warhol and Keith Haring and plunged headlong into the world of graffiti and pop art taking the name “Mist” as his moniker.
Another influential figure in Paredes’ artistic career is his mentor Ronnie Cutrone. Cutrone was Andy Warhol’s immediate assistant at the Factory during the notorious pop artist’s most productive and prestigious years. To Paredes, his mentor’s paintings are the essence of pop: colorful, lively and highly accessible. Cutrone’s constant use of bright and fluorescent colors not only influenced Warhol’s return to such hues, but shaped Paredes’ color palette choices as well. Paredes’ piece “Ronnie is that you?” pays homage to Cutrone and features one of Paredes’ sons painted on a vintage Mickey Mouse bed cover. The child represents the artist looking for Ronnie.
In 1986, Paredes left New York to come to still burgeoning Miami Beach, FL. Soon after Paredes began apprenticing for Paul Kus, a former FBI art forgery expert who made his mark on the art world by meticulously replicating, and then giving his own twist, to master works. Working on these legal replicas gave Paredes a newfound respect for fine art and afforded him a fertile ground to practice painting techniques as the most accomplished artists before him had done.
At the age of 27, Paredes took a studio at the Art Center of South Florida, where at a young age became one of their most prosperous artists focusing mainly on mixed media and conceptual art. At one of his first showings he sold all of his pieces and broke into the Miami Beach art scene. He ultimately took his own private studio space on Lincoln Road and painted for hours on end. Local venues often offered their space to showcase Paredes’ work and he later did shows with artists like Ronnie Cutrone, Skot Olsen, Tes One, And Sas and Colin Christian.
In 1998, Paredes noticed a trend of nightclubs distributing flashy flyers and drawing from his extensive knowledge of Japanese animation and comic book characters, he decided to overcome his fear of computers and purchased a Macintosh. The very first flyer he produced was such a hit among management and patrons of the now defunct nightclub, Groove Jet, that the club immediately gave all future work to him. Other clubs caught on and from this grew his multi-million dollar nationwide graphic design and printing company, PK Graphics. The company now services printing needs for 75,000 clubs nationwide and numerous corporate accounts. PK Graphics is the largest postcard printer in the United States and is an industry leader for printing affordable, fast and high impact material.
Paredes’ newest venture, Paredes Publishing, was founded in 2006 and is a worldwide fine art wholesale and retail publisher. Paredes Publishing offers the highest quality prints on the market and ranges from traditional to transitional genres. It prints an eclectic portfolio of distinct and sophisticated artwork in both standard and custom sizes on canvas and paper, all created by emerging and established artists.
Even though Paredes is at the helm of his companies, he always makes time for his art. His work continually draws the viewer into a never ending interaction with the canvas and once engaged, the viewer never fails to discover new details not seen before. He paints vivid, brilliant images that create an atmosphere of question and mystery, immersing his audience in an unparalleled visual experience as well as inner journey. Every stroke, every pose, every shadow are thoughtfully constructed clues to the complex dialogue the artist is having with himself and with what he believes will be his legacy.
Paredes lives with his wife, Joyce, and their children in Miami.
www.miguelparedes.com
Wynwood Arts District
173 NW 23rd St
Miami, FL 33127
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