Pedro Paricio

Q:  What was the inspiration behind your first collection with Halcyon Gallery?

A: My first exhibition was Master Painters (2011) at Halcyon Gallery. I was 28 years old. The inspiration behind it was human memory and looking to the past to inform the future. For so long people have said that painting is dead or is dying. First, it was the threat of photography and new media, but continually painting reinvents itself and that is what my first series reflected. I believe today, in a world of NFTs and AI, painting is still as relevant, meaningful and powerful as it was centuries ago. As a means of expression, it is unparalleled. 

Human memory is also so important to my work, as memory is inside the tradition of painting. Artists are constantly pressured to add something new to the canon that has come before, but I don't think you can always completely invent something new. It is more about taking what has come before and building upon it. It’s evolution rather than invention. 

Q:  How has your artistic practice changed from your early days?

A: It is growing and evolving.  I think of it like a tree growing new branches; I have added new colour palettes and textures, but at the core, the essence of my work is still the same. You will always find something that I did 20 years ago in my new paintings, but also things I never did before: new compositions and new ways of drawing and techniques. 

Q:  How do you know when an artwork is complete?

A: I feel it. I arrive at a point, it is like an electric current through my body. It's the moment when I am totally happy with an artwork. It's an incredible feeling, and until I feel it I won't stop. Even if the painting looks good, I never let it go until I have that special feeling. But also at the same time it leaves me feeling quite empty in a way. When I am at home the next day I feel so drained because I have given it everything. But then I go back to the studio and I start mounting the next canvas, it's like active recovery. It keeps me connected to my practice but isn't too taxing so I don't need to think too hard about it. I paint one by one. It's like a novel or a film, I am totally absorbed by it, I can't work on more than one piece at a time. 

Q:  What one piece of art had the biggest impact on you or your career?

A: One?! It's so hard to say. I have quite an obsessive personality, so when I really like something I become totally fascinated by it. I have had that with Pablo Picasso and Francis Bacon, I become so attached to these artists. I buy every book related to them in sight! I have had it with Basquiat too. But Picasso - I must have 30 or 40 books, multiple biographies and catalogue raisonnes, and of course this fed into the exhibition Paricio • Picasso at Halcyon Gallery in 2019.

I am also a huge fan of Monet. I have spent a lot of time with his paintings. I go to Paris many times a year, but there is so much to discover about him. His oeuvre goes so beyond the water lilies, with these totally abstract works that lean towards Cy Twombly. There's layers upon layers. You can see why Picasso said that Cubists come from Cezanne, and the same can be said for Monet and contemporary painters. 

Q:  What’s your favourite creation?

A: Impossible to answer! I love them all equally. There is never a painting that I've created that I haven't been totally happy with. I never let them go without being 100% sure. 

Q:  What do you want to do next?

A:  Jan van Eyck was painting until he was in his 80s - that's my target - I hope to be painting until I cannot stand up. To keep painting and not lose faith will be a great achievement. 

Q:  What’s your favourite colour? 

A: I love colour, so it's hard to choose one. To me, I think what is the point in being an artist if you're not going to be free with colour. 

If you are interested in adding Pedro Paricio to your collection speak to one of our art consultants today - email us info@halcyongallery.com