frenetic energy of a graffiti tagger inspired
by the visionary Parisian artists of the early
icons, and you partake in the emotionally charged
pasticcio Miguel Paredes creates on canvass. This
sumptuous visual feast is no metaphoric coinci-
dence. Paredes is as accomplished a culinary artist
as he is a painter, a former executive chef who plied
his artistry at some of Miami Beach's most posh loca-
tions. He declined a prestigious restaurant position
in New Orleans in favor of creating conceptual art
and mixed media presentations at his private studio
in Miami Beach, where he still lives and works.
heavily on the physical and metaphysical urban
landscapes of his youth. Simple subway travel is
transformed into cultural tableaus of lush island
vegetation, bursting with the vibrant color of imag-
ined tropical delights in the paintings Paredes cre-
ates for his Train Series. Young Hispanics ride the
subway not merely between two destinations, but
between two cultures--the natural beauty of their
island heritage juxtaposed with the unnatural beauty
of urban New York. The rain forest ambience that
perfumes each subway car is also populated by Pop
Art icon figures taken directly from Saturday morn-
ing cartoon classics. They are dualistic transports of
ancient and modern culture that does not end when
these youthful riders exit at the next subway stop.
ed by wraith-like expressionistic figures striking out
against, as well as embracing, the destructive nature
of urban life. Within this series of monumental
canvases that are often incorporated as installation
pieces, the artist pays tribute to one of his earliest
and most significant influences, Keith Haring, who
he accidentally encountered while Haring was draw-
ing inside a subway car.
his art education occurred when he came under
the tutelage of former F.B.I. art forgery expert
Paul Kus. As Kus' apprentice, Paredes worked
on legal replicas of some of the world's greatest
paintings. This experience afforded him a new
found respect for the craft, sensibilities and tech-
niques of master artists from the past, a lesson
Paredes continues to incorporate into his original
and highly stylized paintings. -Mark Blickley