Ted Parker and his wacky imagination
It’s in the bar of his friends that Ted Parker has exhibited his work for the first time. Public enthusiasm led him to embark on the illustration and to create a very unique style. Since then, his work has continued to spread. He exhibited at galleries and produced illustrations for The New York Times. More recently, the artist has worked with us to achieve different visuals for t-shirts from the current collection. His illustrations depict hyper-happy characters in situations both absurd and ridiculous. At first glance, his drawings revolve around humor, always full of lightness and fantasy. But when we look more closely, there is a slightly scary world, sometimes almost disturbing. We wanted to know more about this artist with the imagination a bit wacky…
Hi Ted! How are you? Whereabouts are you when answering our questions?
It’s 11:03 pm and I’m down in the studio, all is fine thank you.
Your style is easily recognisable. How did you manage to find your touch?
This was a culmination of certain ideas and influences I had gathered thus far. The first big chance in the way I worked was brought to me by the German Painter George Baselitz , who is known for his upsidedown Paintings. I’d reckoned that if you have been drawing for numerous years you build up muscle memory. Being stuck and dissatisfied by the lines I would draw I also started working upside down as a way to cheat the brain. And until this day everything I make is done upside down. I love cheating the brain.
Can you tell us a little bit more about your creative process? Which tools do you use?
I like solitude for working, ussually the nighttime is the best time for such a thing. Then have a coffee and a smoke and just get at it. I ‘ll start painting a (random) idea or an image just to start it off, get the vibe going. Hopefully then my subconcious will emerge , and ideas and spin off ideas will follow.
At first glance your drawings appear quite frivolous and humorous: a roller-skating ostrich or a man working out with his dog! Where do you draw your inspiration from?
I’m very much influenced by (early) photography and especially the notion of capturing a moment. I wanted to take this notion and apply that in re-creating a new history where I would re-capture a life . I would live it vicariously through this bold character I had created and in this re-writing of history I can put in all that I can think of ; childhood fantasies /memories, primordial fears, dirty jokes, true love, forgotten dreams and lost pets.
Looking back, there is something quite scary about your characters. They all have that same look on their faces, a frozen smile and bulging eyes. What does that really mean?
I don’t know what it means, but I do like the idea that this over-joyous exuberance is not really the ‘truth’. Having the dot-dot-dot smiley faces certainly helps in regards to creating this ambiguity, because of the level of unease and distortion it brings to the images.
There is a hint of 50s-60s male advertising chauvinism to your illustrations (even though your men are also ridiculed). What do you think?
A part of my work deals with the female-male relationship and how it looks in my universe after it’s been filtered through my own fucked up-ness. I don’t know about no chauvinism, but I do like that era.
I’ve just thought of a question looking at your drawings. Are you a fan of Jim Carrey or the Truman Show in particular?
No not particularly , but I get the question. I’m also creating a world for my character that’s not reality.
What’s Ted Parker like in real life? Is he as nutty as his characters?
I’m a bit more of a dick in real life I think, that’s complemented my frumpy appearance , but underneath that are rays of sunshine.
You often depict animals. What’s your rapport with the animal world, in your history and your daily life?
I remember watching an animated version of Animal Farm over and over again as a child. Saw some Lassie (dog), Flipper(dolphin) , Skippy (kangaroo) shows in between not watching Animal Farm. And we had dogs growing up. So I guess it all derives from childhood trauma.
How do you see your work evolving in the coming years?
Making more painterly type pieces on the one hand and getting craftier with the commercial stuff.
Where do you live nowadays? Is there a town in which you’d like to live one day?
I currently reside deadsmack in the center of the Netherlands in a city called Utrecht. I’d like to have a big brown stone in the big apple one day. We’ll just have to see how that works out.
Do you have any projects for the coming months?
My friends are opening up a second coffeeshop/bakery/pub/restaurant thingy which is gonna be huge and I’ll be doing some designwork for them. Herman Miller just started following me on instagram, so they should be calling me any day now. And hopefully I’ll get around to my website.
Thanks you yo Ted Parker.
Find Ted Parker on Facebook, Instagram and on his official site.
– L.K –
