Biography

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS & HONORS

2018
Robert 2.0, Nederland

2013
Adagio Galleries, Palm Desert, California
Galerie Oker, Amsterdam

2011
Louk's Atelier & Galerie, Enschede, The Netherlands

2009
Galerie Pfundt, Berlin
Louk's Atelier & Galerie, Enschede, The Netherlands

2008
Galerie Taube, Dezembersalon, Berlin
The Redstone Gallery, Park City, Utah

2007
Galerie Taube, Dezembersalon, Berlin
Gilman Contemporary, Ketchum, Idaho

2006
Adagio Galleries, Palm Springs
Galerie Taube, Dezembersalon, Berlin

2005
Adagio Galleries, Palm Springs

2004
Walls Gallery, Amsterdam

2003
Galerie Witlov, Amsterdam
Walls Gallery, Amsterdam

2001
Charivari, Knokke, Belgium

2000
Galerie Hoopman, Amsterdam

1999
Connextions Gallery, Sausalito, California

1998
Marie-Louise Woltering, Amsterdam
De Telegraaf, Amsterdam
Galerie Robert Alofsen, Haarlem, The Netherlands

1997
De Telegraaf, Amsterdam

1996
Galerie Kwartijn, Amsterdam

1995
Zona, Amsterdam
Galerie Lughien, Amsterdam

1994
Fellini, Amsterdam

1993
Houshang’s Gallery, Dallas

1992
de Telloor, Alkmaar, The Netherlands
Adagio Galleries, Palm Desert, California

1991
Timir, Amsterdam
Galerie Wimmenum, Egmond aan den Hoef, The Netherlands

1990
Adagio Galleries, Palm Springs
Gemeentearchief Alkmaar, North Holland, The Netherlands

1989
Joan Cawley Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona
Galerie Wimmenum, Egmond aan den Hoef, The Netherlands

1988
El Taller, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Adagio Galleries, Palm Springs

1987
Galerie Wimmenum, Egmond aan den Hoef, The Netherlands

1986
The Art Collector, San Diego
The Gallery, Burlingame, California
Adagio Galleries, Palm Springs

1985
Bau-Xi, Vancouver, British Columbia
Exotica, Laguna Beach, California
Honorable Mention, Mt. San Jacinto juried exhibit, California

1984
Gallery Vander Woude, Palm Springs
Third Award, California Expo, Sacramento
All California juried exhibit, Laguna Beach Museum of Art
Finalist, Judith Selkowitz Competition, New York City
The Gallery, Burlingame, California
Jill Youngblood Gallery, Los Angeles

1983
Newport Harbor Art Museum, "Emerging Artists", California
California Biennial juried exhibit, Riverside Art Museum
Eagle Art Gallery, Palm Desert, California

1982
Honorable Mention, California Expo, Sacramento
Brand II juried exhibit, Brand Library Art Museum, Glendale, California
The Gallery, Burlingame, California
Cannell & Chaffin, Los Angeles
Galerie Elégante, Palm Desert, California

1981
Impressions Gallery, Sherman Oaks, California
First Award, Santa Rosa Art Guild Competition, California
Third Award, San Mateo County Exposition, California
Honorable Mention, California Expo, Sacramento
DeVorzon Gallery, Los Angeles
Tatistcheff & Company, New York City

1980
Hank Baum Gallery, San Francisco
Haggenmaker Gallery, Laguna Beach, California

1979
ADI Gallery, San Francisco
University of California, San Francisco

1976
Crown Zellerbach Building, San Francisco

SELECTED REVIEWS

"Robert Parkison’s paintings achieve a rare combination of extreme sensitivity to subject matter, merged with an exacting, calculated objectivity...."

"Parkison began painting after receiving a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of California, Berkeley.  Painting and an innate sense of design had, however, pervaded his childhood....A fifth-generation San Franciscan, Parkison’s grandmother, a couturière, tremendously influenced him when, after a serious illness, she gave up clothes designing and began to paint. Travel throughout the United States and restless intellect gave impetus to a four-year tenure with San Francisco City College where Parkison studied photography, commercial illustration, fine art, and film making."

"Touring Holland, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Spain in 1978, Parkison landed on the Greek islands where a new world of light and color opened to the artist, changing his life...."

"Not unlike the series of paintings Winslow Homer produced in the Bahamas, Parkison capitalizes on the white of his paper as focal point, around which he builds superimposed colors by layering pigmented washes. Parkison’s greatest achievement lies in making full use of the translucence that is the special beauty of watercoloring...."

-- Excerpts from  "Palm Springs Life" - Catherine Hemmerdinger - © 1983

"Now comes Robert Parkison who entered the Art World with considerable attention in the 1980's. With many shows, commissions, and honors since, he hangs in private and corporate collections throughout North America and Europe. His architecturals and florals gained immediate acceptance among a stellar group of particular collectors."

"Where acknowledged Masters have added light, Parkison adds colors building upon paper ‘never being able to go back to a lighter surface’. The requirements of transparency mean no mistakes. His untouched paper is his white (i.e. light). His paintings, once described as "a Sunday Morning", present a clearly recognizable ‘Light from Within’."

-- Excerpts from  Christopher Huntington - © 1987

"Zijn bijzondere manier van aquarelleren mag op zijn zachtst gezegd bijzonder genoemd worden. In plaats van de karakteristieke waterverfsfeer is Robert Parkison in zijn werk juist bijzonder precies en bijna fotografisch. Niet de traditionele kaasmarkt, niet de Waagtoren hebben de kunstenaar tot werken uitgenodigd, maar juist de onverwachte hoekjes en plekjes waar je als rechtgeaarde Alkmaarder subiet aan voorbij loopt, maar die je onmiddellijk herkent als ze vastgelegd zijn op de manier waarop Robert Parkison dat gedaan heeft."

"‘Licht en schaduw hebben mijn grote belangstelling’, legt de Amerikaan geduldig uit. ‘Het gaat mij niet om het grote geheel , maar juist om de details. Daarom schilderde ik een paar voordeuren op een vredige zondagmorgen, een fiets die tegen een muur staat, een zonnescherm voor een venster, een bankje in de zon waar je even op zou willen uitrusten. Nederlanders zeggen vaak dat ze zonneschijn tekort komen, maar op mijn schilderijen schijnt altijd de zon. Die lichtwerking is mijn uitgangspunt. Licht en schaduw. Daar is het leven vol mee."

-- Excerpts from "Alkmaarsche Courant" - The Netherlands - © 1990

SELECTED COLLECTIONS

Roswell Park, Buffalo, New York

Columbia Pictures, Burbank, California

Lloyd’s Bank, Monterey Park, California

Garratt-Callahan Company, Burlingame, California

Los Angeles Steamship Company, Los Angeles

Gemeentearchief Alkmaar, North Holland, The Netherlands

Marriott Hotel, Burlingame, California

Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher, San Francisco

Marriott Mission Valley, San Diego

Glendale Federal Savings, Glendale, California

Nordstrom, San Diego, California

Great American First Savings Bank, San Diego

Nordstrom, San Jose, California

Guarantee Trust, Toronto

Palm Springs Art Museum, California

Home Federal Savings, San Diego

Mrs. William Powell, Palm Springs, California

ING Bank, The Netherlands

Sharpe Grossmont Hospital, San Diego

Kaiser Permanente, San Diego

Wells Fargo Building, San Diego

Baron and Baroness Heinrich von Thyssen-Bornemisza, Lugano, Switzerland

...in addition to hundreds of private art collections throughout North America and Europe

On Mykonos, where the dream began...