Patricia Zinsmeister Parker (b. 1934)

Parker's abstract idiom with pattern bubbles with energy. Usually filled with recognizable objects, such as cuff links, the cones and crescents create pattern, repeated solidly but not identically on the surface of the painting. She is influenced by patterns she has seen in ceramic work and textiles. This work is a diptych but she painted each piece separately and then placed them side-by-side one on top of the other—turning them horizontally and vertically until she found the coherent whole. In Cuff links , the canvases are tied visually by a red dotted line. As with many painters, Parker goes as far as she wants with an idea and then her focus changes. Over the years, many of Parker's works have richly built up surfaces, collage elements and incorporate words or statements. One's mind never wanders when looking at the vitality of her ideas and intriguing results of her process.