Kenneth Parker is a large-format landscape colorist working principally in remote pristine wilderness areas throughout the world. He is drawn to elemental forces and their compelling magic, translating into arresting imagery the depths of these feelings, rich in power, radiant. His early experience as fine art color pioneer Eliot Porter’s field assistant helped to nurture a loving eye devoted to isolating and capturing the mysteries in nature that he struggled for decades to unravel as a research scientist in oceanography and global climate change.
Slot, Lower Antelope Canyon; Navajo Reservation, Arizona, archival pigment print, size variable, ed. of 45
Tufa and Shrubs at Dawn; South Tufa, Mono Lake, California, archival pigment print, size variable, ed. of 45
Dead Cypress, Trentepholia Algae, Point Lobos, CA, archival pigment print, size variable, ed. of 45
KENNETH PARKER
Education
PhD, 1989, Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle
BS, 1979, Biology and Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz
1971-73, Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Experience
Private field assistant to Eliot Porter, fine art photographer, 1975-76
Assistant/mentoring with Paul Caponigro, fine art photographer, 1976-present
Apprentice to William Giles, fine art photographer, 1977-78
Research Assistant and Photographer on wild seal rookeries, Año Nuevo Island,
University of California, Santa Cruz (under B.J. Le Boeuf), 1977
Underwater Cameraman, Rebikoff Institute of Marine Technology, Florida, 1980
Cinematographer, Camera One Productions, Seattle, 1985-90
Oceanographer, NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Seattle, and
Center for Ocean Analysis & Prediction, Monterey, 1989-96 (applied scientific
research in physical/biological oceanography and global climate change)
Photographer, ancient Tibetan temples restoration project, Mustang, Nepal, 2003-06
Representation
Weston Gallery, Carmel; Barry Singer Gallery, Petaluma; The Gallery at Ventana Inn,
Big Sur; Addison/Ripley Fine Art, Washington DC; Ordover Gallery, San Diego, CA;
John Stevenson Gallery, NYC; Photographs Do Not Bend, Dallas, TX; Getty Images
Selected Exhibitions
Weston Gallery, Carmel –Point Lobos Essence, group exhibit 2015: Edward Weston,
Brett Weston, Cole Weston, Wynn Bullock, Ryuijie, Brad Cole, Rolfe Horn
R. Blitzer Gallery, Santa Cruz, CA – one-man exhibit 2014
Monterey Museum of Art, Monterey, CA – Miniatures,group exhibit 2010-11
San Diego Natural History Museum, Ordover Gallery –one-man exhibit 2008-9
Pacific Grove Natural History Museum, CA – group exhibit 2007
Center for Photographic Art, Carmel, CA:
Juried Exhibition – group exhibits 2010, 2011, 2012
Luminosity: The Art of ImageMaking, Monterey ImageMakers – group exhibit 2010
Buddhist Earth: Sacred Places, Sacred Work – one-man exhibit 2008
Collectors Fine Print Program – featured artist 2002
Weston Gallery, Carmel – one-man exhibit 2007
Barry Singer Gallery, Petaluma CA – group exhibits 2005, 2007
Ralls Collection, Washington DC –one-man exhibit 2004
Ansel Adams Gallery, Mumm Cuvée Napa –America the Beautiful, group exhibit 2004
Marigold Arts Gallery, Santa Fe – one-man exhibits 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007
Vagabond Rose Gallery, Chico – one-man exhibits 2002, 2003, 2004
June Bateman Gallery, NYC – group exhibit 2002-03
Spectrum Gallery, Rochester – one-man exhibit 2002-03
Silver Image Gallery, Seattle –one-man exhibits 1984, 1988
Dean McHenry Library, University of California, Santa Cruz –one-man exhibi 1977
Misha Gallery, Santa Cruz –one-man exhibits 1977, 1980
MIROUNGA: The Elephant Seals of Año Nuevo Island– large-scale museum exhibition with narrative text by Professor Burney J. Le Boeuf, 1979;
two-man exhibits 1979-80:
Smithsonian Institution, Oakland Museum, California Academy of Sciences,
Santa Cruz, San Diego and Los Angeles County Museums of Natural History
Cinematography
Cinematographer: Canyon Dreams(Miramar Productions, Seattle), Grand Canyon
and Colorado River rafting, original soundtrack by Tangerine Dream, 1988
Director of Photography: Atocha Treasures and Auction, Christie’s New York, 1988
Cinematographer: The Grand Canyon by OARS(Camera One Productions), 1986;
Cinematographer: National Geographic Explorer,Colorado River rafting, 1986
Director of Photography/Cinematographer: Longlines: An Undersea Investigation,
two-man submersible research project, Alaska, 1985; PBS, USIA world distribution
Selected Awards
Annual International Color Awards: Photography Masters Cup Award, 2007
San Francisco Society of Communicating Arts, Art Directors Photography Award, 1980
OCEANS ‘85 Exposition Film Festival, San Diego: First Place, 1985
CINE Golden Eagle Award for Cinematography: 1985, 1986
Houston International Film Festival: Special Gold Award for Cinematography, 1986
Northwest Photographers Museum-Juried Award: Landscape Photography, 1990
Selected Publications
Communication Arts, View Camera, Time, Geo, Oceans, Smithsonian, Natural History, Pacific Discovery, many national newspapers (April 2015: Monterey Herald cover story)
