Parrot of Peace, vibrant gouache on paper still life2021

Melanie Parke’s latest selection of still lifes looks at quotidien interiors and imbues them with magic. All of the elements of the still life are present: a stem in glimmering glass, the casual fold of a table cloth or napkin, or a scatter of fruit; yet Parke captures something unnamable and rare. Collisions of patterns and luminosities, Melanie’s paintings deny a single perspective or uniform sense of depth. Whether gouache on paper or oil on canvas, Parke brings a fresh sense of play to tradition.