Today we’d like to introduce you to Parker Thornton.
Hi Parker, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was a dancer and soccer player growing up. In high school, I got really into writing poetry and crying. In college, I started writing art criticism and taking studio classes. The Atlanta DIY scene in the mid-aughts raised me–it gave me the opportunity to get freaky and try things. I created a character I’d perform called Whitesnake Girl who’s a “white trash philosopher” and “party poet”. I tried Butoh and collaborative improvised movement and publishing zines, and I hung out at Mammal Gallery and those types of places until all hours of the night. After a few years, I wanted to professionalize myself and refine a craft, so I applied to grad school and got my MFA in photography. I figured that I could do all the performance stuff I was already doing but in front of a camera. Turns out it wasn’t quite that simple.
Photography was a good challenge for me because it can be very prissy and technical. I also fell into mold-making, which felt much more tactile and served as a counterbalance. I started to play with video because it felt like a good way to bring images, writing, and performativity into the same fold. Since grad school, I’ve been figuring out how to be a “working artist”. I’ve had some nice residencies and solo shows, and this year I completed a major project that I’m proud of. I apply to a lot of things, which is tedious. I’ve been figuring out my relationship to teaching art. I’ve taught in some capacity or another since 2014, and I’m kind of breaking up with it right now. My current fantasies are to use the lower level of my house, which is also my studio, as a project space to host shows and events. I’m also dreaming about opening a cafe-wine shop-gallery someday. Right now the tabs I have open on my computer are an application for a MacDowell Fellowship and a sommelier course.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I struggle to feel cohesive. My curiosities are very broad.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in visual storytelling around how bodies are aestheticized and how cultural touchstones shape narratives of the self. Psychosexual dynamics, intimate relationships, and gallows humor underlie these investigations. I usually tell these stories through writing, photography, video, and sculpture. I’m a Renaissance man. I’m good at learning on the job and making projects with an ambitious scope come together.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.parkerthornton.us/
- Other: https://substack.com/profile/17560658-parker-thornton?utm_source=profile-page
