John A. Parks

I grew up as the son of a Church of England clergyman in the north of England and then in London. My father rather hoped I would follow in his footsteps and was fond of prefacing comments to me with "John - when you preach your first sermon..." I quickly decided to become an artist. I was trained as a painter in the English art school system, finishing at the Royal College of Art. I came to New York in the late seventies and have since shown my paintings at many major galleries around the world. I have also been a member of the faculty of the School of Visual Arts in New York for many years, teaching painting and drawing to undergraduates, graduates and adults. In the early nineties I began to write for the art magazines and have since published over two hundred feature articles on subjects ranging from Velazquez' paint technique to Kara Walker's silhouettes. I have brought all this experience to bear in writing "Universal Principles of Art," a book that presents the whole world of art in a way that is simple, clear and accessible. Perhaps, after all, this is my first sermon.