Andrew (Stulz) Parker (b. 1991 in Grants Pass, OR) lives and works in Spokane, Washington. He studied photography and architecture at Montana State University, receiving a B.A. in Environmental Design from Montana State University and a Master of Architecture from the University of Houston in 2016.

Since starting lessons at six, art has been an integral part of Parker’s life. He participated in community-wide art competitions and exhibitions, eventually being the youngest artist to participate in Southern Oregon’s ‘Bearfest,’ a community art project involving large fiberglass bears, each painted by a local artist.

Studying architecture and photography shifted Parker’s creative endeavors away from painting and provided differing lenses through which to understand experiences and surroundings. Exploring architectural processes in graduate school reinvigorated Parker’s need to create art. Utilizing painting skills, materials, and other techniques from his earlier explorations of spatial representation allowed his visual works to move away from literal depictions of natural scenes and towards conceptual representations of experiences.

Andrew Parker’s work explores the complex intersection between human and natural environments.  Layering mixed-media compositions of repurposed papers, stamping of found objects, and subtly changing patterns built upon a grid to embody experiences as visual expressions.

Artist Statement

“Grids organize our world. From large to small, from urban to rural, we encounter an imposed order nearly everywhere. Regularity feels safe; it is predictable and reliable. However, it is deviations in the order that produces intrigue. There is a constant oscillation between order and chaos; the two are dependent upon one another. These pieces are part of Transitional Indistinction, a series of paintings inspired by the relationship between order and chaos.

Building upon a grid, layers seek a balance between being organized by the grid or existing outside of it. Using paper cutters, I make circles from magazine pages and found paper. This collaging adds an amount of unpredictability within the organization of the grid. As each piece becomes layered, the competing lines result in an increasing amount of alignment anomalies. New layers are more independent from the grid. The final forms respond to the overall composition rather than the specific elements that organized the preceding layers. The removal of masks placed before the grid serves to connect the current organic-ness to the original.

Building upon a grid, layers seek a balance between being organized by the grid or existing outside of it. Using paper cutters, I make circles from magazine pages and found paper. This collaging adds an amount of unpredictability within the organization of the grid. As each piece becomes layered, the competing lines result in an increasing amount of alignment anomalies. New layers are more independent from the grid. The final forms respond to the overall composition rather than the specific elements that organized the preceding layers. The removal of masks placed before the grid serves to connect the current organic-ness to the original.

Building upon a grid, initial layers are organized within that system. Using hole punches to make circles from found paper adds unpredictability to what would otherwise feel repetitive. Later layers are more independent from the founding structure and the piece finishes with elements that break free entirely.”