Tori Parrish shines at Chattanooga WorkSpace
American Impressionism is alive and well in Chattanooga. Award-winning artist Tori Parrish captures scenes with quick, energetic brushstrokes, translating and encoding moments of her life into dynamic oil paintings.
Starting in November, her work can be seen at the Chattanooga WorkSpace, where she has become one of the studio/gallery’s newest members.
A lifelong creative devotee, Parrish has been making art since she was big enough to hold a paintbrush. She tells us, “I remember visiting a friend’s house in kindergarten. She asked what I wanted to do and I asked where her art cart was...and she had no idea what I was talking about. I was horrified when the only art supplies she could find were pens and printer paper from her dad’s office—I made it work though.”
She studied art practice at Stanford University in the honors program.
“It was an amazing experience,” she says. “I had the opportunity to work with contemporary artists all across the Bay Area and beyond.”
“One of my favorite memories from college,” she continues, “is collaborating with contemporary performance artist Cassils (they/them) on a performance titled ‘Sweat Paintings’ in which we choreographed self-defense movements on a large Yves Klein Blue gym mat, accompanied by a violin and viola performing Yves Klein’s Monotone Symphony and texts read aloud about the causes and impacts of sexual assault.”
Parrish is primarily a painter, but she also enjoys woodworking and musical performance.
“I am a woman of many trades,” she says. “Mostly you’ll see oil paintings painted with thick, loose, and gestural brush strokes and vibrant color palettes. I have surprisingly little patience for an oil painter, which gives my works an impressionist feel. I hope to merge these processes together more in the future—creating full environmental performances with paintings and music.”
She is currently working on a series of “Corporeal Paintings”, which are painted on three-dimensional stretched canvas sculptures (about the size of a human body).
“I am working to combine all my various creative trades, and this is one of those,” she says. “I want to create paintings that make people interact with them in an unexpected way. I am also working on some experiential painting and music environments—figuring out how to use paintings in a way that creates a vibe in a space to match and enhance the story of a song.”
The subject of her work often has to do with mental health and healing. In her most recent series, “PAUSE”, she painted moments that caused her to stop and take a breath. She explains, “I have been creating pieces that take little, quiet moments and I depict them with my impatient and frantic style. I think that creates an irony that I am still unpacking.
“Much of my work comes from a place of processing memories, emotions, and trauma. Painting has always been vital for my own mental health, and it’s often the one thing that can get me out of some sort of spiral. If you boil everything about my practice down, the core of it all is finding joy and healing through creativity.”
Parrish teaches private individual and group lessons in art and harp performance.
“I love to work with artists and musicians of all levels,” she says. “I want to make art accessible to anyone and everyone who wants it. My goal as a teacher is to spread the pure joy of creative expression with as many people as possible—so I work with my students to pinpoint what their specific goals and hopes are and we build a lesson plan from there. Nourishing my students’ relationships with art is at the core of my teaching, so all my lesson planning and assignments revolve around that goal.”
She stays inspired by working with her students—or anyone who is new to art.
“Every time I feel stuck or bored or frustrated, working with one of my students in painting or drawing and hearing their perspective on art gets me excited again,” she says. “It helps me remember why I make art in the first place—because I enjoy it. Teaching also consistently reminds me of core techniques and skills that can help nourish my creative practice—my students bring me fresh perspectives and reminders of what is really important about making art.”
To schedule a studio visit or inquire about lessons, contact her online at toriparrish.com