Cody Parker
1989–
Whether he’s working with spray paints or markers, Cody Parker is making waves in the world of modern art with his richly colored murals and bold canvas paintings that pop.
Personal History
Born in Erie, PA in 1989, Cody Parker enjoyed a wonderful childhood spent playing tennis in the summer and hockey in the bitter cold NW Pennsylvania winters. With support from his parents, who encouraged him to pursue the things that bring him joy in life, he began to get into art while in school. He took many different classes and learned a wide range of art history and techniques.
Despite the schooling and fantastic teachers, Parker considers himself a self-taught artist who learned the most by trying new things and making art that was both good and bad in his early years. For him, art has always been a great tool, to express and step outside of himself. Today, Parker’s artistic process depends on what he is creating. Whether it’s a mural or a canvas, the work typically starts with him envisioning what he’s trying to paint on whatever surface he has chosen to paint on at that moment. With all the right tools by his side, Parker begins to make art that makes collectors stand up and take notice.
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When Parker is using spray paints to create a new mural, he will employ a low-pressure spray paint and only use two styles of caps on his paint cans. One is an Astro Fat cap, the largest on the market today. This helps Parker spread thick, wide lines ideal for large scale works of art. He also uses a Skinny Cream cap that is specially designed to produce the finest, cleanest, and smallest lines. This fundamental tool lets Parker blend with ease and gives him the precision needed to create intricate details inside his masterpieces. For his bold, visionary art on canvases, Parker uses Poska paint markers, other acrylic paint, and sometimes even diamond dust. The exact materials vary from each work of art, depending on what the artist is trying to envision or display to the viewer, but what doesn’t change is the discipline and work ethic Parker brings to his art every day, traits he learned from playing ice hockey for many years.
Cody Parker’s artistic style is derived from doing multi-layer stencils and then a process of creating realistic images in one layer rather than with multiple layers of paint. He gives credit to a lot of modern street and mural artists for providing him with constant inspiration, including Tristan Eaton, Hiero, Ripe, Menas, RONE, and Pichiavo—muralists who are also fine artists. Toeing that fine line to create art that can be appreciated by people on the street and fine art collectors equally is a thrilling challenge for Parker.
Accomplishments
One of Cody Parker’s biggest accomplishments was painting a mural for Iggy Azalea, as well as making paintings for celebrities like James Hype and Sommer Ray. He has also been a part of Art Basel for the past five years, remembering years ago when he would walk through Wynwood, believing that one day his art would be there. Thanks to his dogged determination, a father urging him to keep creating and to keep going, and a keen understanding that delayed gratification is also part of the artistic process, now it has been!
With an artistic style that is thoroughly unique, aesthetically pleasing, and that highlights space beautifully, it is no wonder the modern art world is starting to take notice of Cody Parker and his singular talent for creating exciting large-scale murals and intimate canvas paintings.
To inquire about collecting the art of Cody Parker, attend one of Park West’s online auction weekends or contact a sales associate via email at sales@parkwestgallery.com or by phone at (866) 995-0904 ext. 4.
