Painter Erik Parker had an unconventional introduction to the world of art. When the San Antonio-native ran into some legal trouble in high school, the judge offered him an option: get his GED and receive half probation, enroll in a community college and have his probation wiped out. Parker jumped on the opportunity, and while at community college in San Antonio, he began taking art classes. That twist of fate eventually led him to the University of Texas at Austin, where he studied with psychedelic surrealist pop artist Peter Saul, and graduate studies at SUNY Purchase. When he hit the New York art scene in the early-1990s, he was a quick sensation, creating street-inspired work that pieced together the ecology of the New York scene by combining images and text on canvas.

Perhaps it all came too easy. In the mid-2000s, Parker decided to step away from the art world and focus on developing a new approach to his painting. The fruits of these labors are now on view in the latest FOCUS show at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. We spoke to Parker about his paintings, his early life, and his unmistakable use of color.

Image: Erik Parker, Think Twice (2007) (detail), Acrylic and enamel on canvas, 52×42 inches.

Music in video by Pornophonik PK via archive.org

Interview with Erik Parker from Peter Simek on Vimeo.