Bethann Parker creates radiant, densely layered paintings incorporating a signature technique whereby threads of paint accumulate on linen grounds like embroidery stitching, paying homage to a family history of crewel work and doily lacemaking. Parker employs both macro and micro perspectives–works range from expansive landscapes to the minutiae of the forest floor. Her paintings embody a life lived in nature and the resulting spiritual connection from what she calls “a position of awe.” For Parker, nature offers profound, mystical experiences, experiences so moving that they must be transcribed artistically. And she is well situated to tap into the sublime. Her home in northeastern Pennsylvania along the Appalachian Mountain range is surrounded by stunning vistas and a wind gap view where a mountain notch was carved by a river now dry. A two minute walk from her home, trilobite fossils embedded in shale lie about her feet. Not one to simply revel in the glories of her environment, Parker and her family are active participants, living off the land as much as possible through sustainable permaculture, growing their own food, composting, beekeeping, and hunting.
While Parker’s work resonates with the deep histories of spirituality across various belief systems, her painting finds kinship in the American sublime tradition of the Hudson River school to more recent endeavors as well. Her animistic landscapes recall the watercolors of Charles Burchfield, who depicted trees, plants and houses as sentient entities buzzing with auratic energy. Another 20th century contextual touchstone are the palette-knife abstractions of Lee Mullican, who, like Parker, incorporated an almost bas-relief painting technique in the exploration of the mystical and transcendental.
Bethann Parker received a Certificate and BFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and a Certificate of Fine Art from the Barnes Foundation. Parker has had solo exhibitions at Gross McCleaf Gallery, Philadelphia, PA; Cabin Contemporary, Pottsville, PA; and the Pennsylvania Academy of Arts, Philadelphia, PA. Her work has been included in group exhibitions at Uffner & Liu, New York, NY; Fleisher/Ollman, Philadelphia, PA; Lehigh University Art Gallery, Bethlehem, PA; Ruffed Grouse Gallery, Narrowsburg, NY; Soft Machine Gallery, Allentown, PA; Art at King Oaks, Newtown, PA; Gross McCleaf Gallery, Philadelphia, PA; Anna Zorina Gallery, virtual exhibition; and the Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia, PA. Parker is in the Fellowship Collection of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. She has been the recipient of the Kittredge Fund, the Freeman's Exhibition Award, the Louis S. Fine Purchase Prize, and the Richard C. Von Hess Memorial Travel Scholarship.
