Charles Parson Drawing

Much has been written about Charles Parson’s sculptural work, about its scale, its planar characteristics, its whiteness (despite the frequent gestures of intense color), about the artist’s “industrial” materials. But few if any commenters have spoken to the delicacy of Parson’s drawing—not only his draftsmanship, but the trace of the heartfelt sound that a pencil must make in his hand. The biographical/critical essay in Charles Parson Drawing captures that delicacy. This fine, slightly oversized book includes over 70 high-resolution, color scans and photos of the artist’s works, focusing on the intimacy, sometimes sad and often joyful, that arises each time marks on thin paper anchor the work of an artist critics have most often described in more monumental ways. Charles Parson’s multi-faceted work has been viewed in galleries, art centers, and museums throughout the United States. He has had over 75 one-artist exhibitions and numerous regional and national showings in group shows over a 50-year plus career.