Olivia Parker

Olivia Parker
Born1941
Boston
Alma materWellesley College
Known forStill-life photography
Websitehttps://www.oliviaparker.com/

Olivia Parker (born 1941) is a Manchester-by-the-Sea-based American still-life photographer.

Early life and education

Parker was born in Boston in 1941.[1] She graduated from Wellesley College with a bachelor's degree in art history[1] in 1963.[2]

Career

Parker is interested in the parallels between art and science. Before focusing her practice on still-life photography she was trained as an art historian and also produced paintings in the tradition of 17th-century Dutch and Spanish still life works.[3]

Parker's photographs of found objects have been described as "poetic and dreamy". A retrospective exhibition of Parker's work, titled Order of Imagination: The Photographs of Olivia Parker, was held at the Peabody Essex Museum in 2019.[3][4][5] An exhibition catalog accompanied the exhibition.[6]

Parker was inducted in the International Photography Hall of Fame in 2019, along with Ralph Gibson, Elliott Erwitt, Mary Ellen Mark and others.[7]

Collections

Parker's work is included in the collections of The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston,[8] Museum of Fine Arts, Boston,[9][10][11] Museum of Modern Art, New York,[12] and the Peabody Essex Museum.[13]

Family life

Parker and her investor husband John moved into a house in Manchester-by-the-Sea in 1967.[1][3] He died in 2016 after living with Alzheimer’s for years.[1] Her series Vanishing in Plain Sight was about his illness.[1][3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Sawa, Dale Berning (7 June 2017). "Olivia Parker's best photograph: an early warning of Alzheimer's". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  2. ^ "Resume". oliviaparker.com. Archived from the original on 3 June 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d Cardin, Dinah (4 November 2019). "Sea Glass and Snails: A Found Object Photographer in Manchester". Northshore Magazine. Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  4. ^ Block, Annie (12 August 2019). "Olivia Parker's Photography Retrospective Showcases her Mastery of Light". Interior Design. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  5. ^ Fredrickson, Kathy (31 July 2019). "Libby Parker studio visit". Peabody Essex Museum. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  6. ^ Spring, Elin (September–October 2019). "Vanishing Point: Olivia Parker's photographs potently capture the edge of mortality". ArchitectureBoston Magazine. Boston Society of Architects. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  7. ^ "International Photography Hall of Fame 2019 Induction and Awards Ceremony". Ladue News. 11 November 2019. Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  8. ^ "Olivia Parker: Broken Nautiluses". Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Archived from the original on 22 April 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  9. ^ "Pods of Chance from the Ephemera portfolio - Olivia Parker". Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Archived from the original on 2 November 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  10. ^ "Olivia Parker, Artichoke, 2010". Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  11. ^ "About". oliviaparker.com. Archived from the original on 3 June 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  12. ^ "Olivia Parker". Museum of Modern Art. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  13. ^ "Photography Collection: Cinquefoil". Peabody Essex Museum. Archived from the original on 29 May 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.