As the North American Distributor for acclaimed Dutch Artist Parra’s Rockwell brand, Stones Throw and Parra announce a one-of-a-kind pop-up store in Los Angeles Thanksgiving Weekend.  The last time Parra and Stones Throw partnered in Los Angeles was April 2007 for Parra’s massive debut opening at The Standard Hotel.  This time around, we will take the show on the road, literally.  The Rockwell Ice Cream Truck will be a unique mobile experience traveling throughout Los Angeles and Orange County offering new collectibles each day ranging from exclusive tees to pillows to duvet covers to a limited zine+cd with Arkitip and everything in between.

Until a few years ago graphic artist/illustrator/typographer/designer Parra was the Amsterdam red-light district’s best kept secret. Nowadays, he is often associated with this new wave of artists (Banksy, Kaws, Shepard Fairey) thanks in part to celebrity art connoisseurs as well as globally recognized collaborations with the likes of Nike, Vans, and Converse. Living with his painter/sculptor father, Parra grew up surrounded by colors, oil paint, wood, weird looking pictures and rubenesque paintings. A second influence was skateboarding. In the early nineties the skate scene was about sarcasm, post rebel feelings and sampling existing design, like a strange post pop art. A third was hip-hop sparking an early interest in cover art, still informing his aesthetic today. Music is the crux of Parra’s work (as he’s also a member of the group Le Le), encompassing eclectic musical vibes from Donovan to Slayer.  Almost entirely self taught – Parra is pure – The basic color palettes, beautiful hand-drawn typography and esoteric character creation are reminiscent of screen printed poster designs of the 1960s & 70s. If it wasn’t for the subtle nudges towards modern culture, you may think he was working in the wrong century.  

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http://www.rockwellclothing.com/

via EM Staff, 24 November 2009 1:19pm | |