Local artist Miguel Paredes opens solo gallery space in Wynwood

August 14th, 2010.

altCelebrated local pop and multi-media artist, sculptor and urban impressionist, Miguel Paredes, will continue making his mark in the Wynwood Arts District with the opening of his first solo gallery Paredes Fine Arts Studio on Saturday, August 14, 2010 during the monthly Art Walk. This marks Paredes’ third stop on his ongoing art tour leading up to Art Basel Miami Beach at the end of this year. The artist has shows scheduled in Seoul, KR; Los Angeles, CA; Boston, MA and New York, NY throughout the next few months.

Paredes was born in New York and is of a Latin American descent. He is an artist who combines the exhilarating sense of New York City’s graffiti art with skill and perceptiveness. Growing up 72nd Street in the Upper West Side of Manhattan, Paredes exuded early signs of artistic ability and accepted an invitation to New York City’s prestigious Fiorello La Guardia High School of Music and Art – immortalized in the musical and movie Fame – in the early 1980s. His studies at Fiorello coincided with the explosion of street culture in the city. Paredes drew inspiration from notorious pop artists like Andy Warhol and Keith Haring and plunged into the world of graffiti and pop art taking the name “Mist” as his moniker.

Another influential figure in Paredes’ artistic career is his mentor Ronnie Cutrone. Cutrone was Andy Warhol’s immediate assistant at the Factory during the notorious pop artist’s most productive and prestigious years. To Paredes, his mentor’s paintings are the essence of pop: colorful, lively and highly accessible. Cutrone’s constant use of bright and fluorescent colors not only influenced Warhol’s return to such hues, but shaped Paredes’ color palette choices as well. Paredes’ piece “Ronnie is that you?” pays homage to Cutrone and features one of Paredes’ sons painted on a vintage Mickey Mouse bed cover. The child represents the artist looking for Ronnie.

In the late 80s, Paredes left New York to come to then burgeoning Miami Beach, FL. in search of new inspiration. He fell in love with the city and immediately submerged himself in its thriving art community. Almost 20 years later, Paredes remains a Miami resident and has established himself as a respected artist. In addition, he is owner and CEO of one of the most successful printing companies in the U.S., PK Graphics, and is happily married with three children which are his most current muses.

At Paredes Fine Arts Studio, the artist will exhibit select pieces and sculptures from collections such as Boroughs, Digital Art, Pop Collages, Urban Dreams and Los Niños.

Paredes Fine Arts Studio
2399 NW 2nd Avenue
Miami, FL 33127
www.miguelparedes.com

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