Harley Parker
Encyclopedia
Harley Parker was a Canadian
artist
, designer
, curator
, professor
and scholar - a frequent collaborator with fellow Canadian
and communications theorist
Marshall McLuhan
.
Parker specialized in watercolour painting, and exhibited internationally.
He was awarded numerous grants over his life, including two Canada Council Grants
, and a British Council of the Arts Grant
. He lectured all over the world, was published internationally, and collaborated closely with manifold scholars and thinkers, McLuhan
among them.
in 1915.
He graduated from the Ontario College of Art (OCA) in Toronto, Ontario in 1939, and from there went on to work independently as an artist. Years later, he taught color, design, and watercolor. In 1946, he attended and completed further studies at Black Mountain College
in Virginia
, studying under Josef Albers
. Between the years of 1947 and 1957, Parker taught colour theory and design
, as well as watercolour techniques, at the Ontario College of Art (OCA) in Toronto, Ontario.
In 1957, he assumed the position of Head of Design and Installations at the Royal Ontario Museum
(ROM) in Toronto
, a post which he retained for a decade, until 1967. During a year-long sabbatical leave from his teaching position, he became an Associate Professor at Fordham University
sharing the Albert Schweitzer
chair of communications with Professor Marshall McLuhan
.
From 1967 until 1975, Parker became involved with McLuhan's
Centre for Culture and Technology at the University of Toronto
as a research associate. His work there revolved around investigating the relationships between the arts and sciences in the 20th century. It was during these years that he collaborated most closely with Marshall McLuhan
, co-authoring two titles, Through the Vanishing Point: Space in Poetry and Painting and Counterblast.
In 1973, Parker was selected to be the first Institute Professor of Communications at the Rochester Institute of Technology
, in Rochester, New York
. He returned to Canada the following year to pick up his work with McLuhan's Centre for Culture and Technology.
Parker retired from his scholarly career in 1976, whereupon he moved to British Columbia
to live and paint in the Kootenay Mountains
. He participated in many solo and group exhibitions across Canada
and the globe, both in solo and group shows, until his death in 1992.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
, designer
Designer
A designer is a person who designs. More formally, a designer is an agent that "specifies the structural properties of a design object". In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, such as consumer products, processes, laws, games and graphics, is referred to as a...
, curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
, professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
and scholar - a frequent collaborator with fellow Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and communications theorist
Communication theory
Communication theory is a field of information and mathematics that studies the technical process of information and the human process of human communication.- History :- Origins :...
Marshall McLuhan
Marshall McLuhan
Herbert Marshall McLuhan, CC was a Canadian educator, philosopher, and scholar—a professor of English literature, a literary critic, a rhetorician, and a communication theorist...
.
Parker specialized in watercolour painting, and exhibited internationally.
He was awarded numerous grants over his life, including two Canada Council Grants
Canada Council
The Canada Council for the Arts, commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown Corporation established in 1957 to act as an arts council of the government of Canada, created to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts. It funds Canadian artists and...
, and a British Council of the Arts Grant
British Council
The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
. He lectured all over the world, was published internationally, and collaborated closely with manifold scholars and thinkers, McLuhan
Marshall McLuhan
Herbert Marshall McLuhan, CC was a Canadian educator, philosopher, and scholar—a professor of English literature, a literary critic, a rhetorician, and a communication theorist...
among them.
Life and career
Harley Parker was born in Fort William, OntarioFort William, Ontario
Fort William was a city in Northern Ontario, located on the Kaministiquia River, at its entrance to Lake Superior. It amalgamated with Port Arthur and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay in January 1970. Ever since then it has been the largest city in Northwestern...
in 1915.
He graduated from the Ontario College of Art (OCA) in Toronto, Ontario in 1939, and from there went on to work independently as an artist. Years later, he taught color, design, and watercolor. In 1946, he attended and completed further studies at Black Mountain College
Black Mountain College
Black Mountain College, a school founded in 1933 in Black Mountain, North Carolina, was a new kind of college in the United States in which the study of art was seen to be central to a liberal arts education, and in which John Dewey's principles of education played a major role...
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, studying under Josef Albers
Josef Albers
Josef Albers was a German-born American artist and educator whose work, both in Europe and in the United States, formed the basis of some of the most influential and far-reaching art education programs of the 20th century....
. Between the years of 1947 and 1957, Parker taught colour theory and design
Design
Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
, as well as watercolour techniques, at the Ontario College of Art (OCA) in Toronto, Ontario.
In 1957, he assumed the position of Head of Design and Installations at the Royal Ontario Museum
Royal Ontario Museum
The Royal Ontario Museum is a museum of world culture and natural history in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. With its main entrance facing Bloor Street in Downtown Toronto, the museum is situated north of Queen's Park and east of Philosopher's Walk in the University of Toronto...
(ROM) in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, a post which he retained for a decade, until 1967. During a year-long sabbatical leave from his teaching position, he became an Associate Professor at Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
sharing the Albert Schweitzer
Albert Schweitzer
Albert Schweitzer OM was a German theologian, organist, philosopher, physician, and medical missionary. He was born in Kaysersberg in the province of Alsace-Lorraine, at that time part of the German Empire...
chair of communications with Professor Marshall McLuhan
Marshall McLuhan
Herbert Marshall McLuhan, CC was a Canadian educator, philosopher, and scholar—a professor of English literature, a literary critic, a rhetorician, and a communication theorist...
.
From 1967 until 1975, Parker became involved with McLuhan's
Marshall McLuhan
Herbert Marshall McLuhan, CC was a Canadian educator, philosopher, and scholar—a professor of English literature, a literary critic, a rhetorician, and a communication theorist...
Centre for Culture and Technology at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
as a research associate. His work there revolved around investigating the relationships between the arts and sciences in the 20th century. It was during these years that he collaborated most closely with Marshall McLuhan
Marshall McLuhan
Herbert Marshall McLuhan, CC was a Canadian educator, philosopher, and scholar—a professor of English literature, a literary critic, a rhetorician, and a communication theorist...
, co-authoring two titles, Through the Vanishing Point: Space in Poetry and Painting and Counterblast.
In 1973, Parker was selected to be the first Institute Professor of Communications at the Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester Institute of Technology
The Rochester Institute of Technology is a private university, located within the town of Henrietta in metropolitan Rochester, New York, United States...
, in Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
. He returned to Canada the following year to pick up his work with McLuhan's Centre for Culture and Technology.
Parker retired from his scholarly career in 1976, whereupon he moved to British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
to live and paint in the Kootenay Mountains
Kootenays
The Kootenay Region comprises the southeastern portion of British Columbia. It takes its name from the Kootenay River, which in turn was named for the Ktunaxa First Nation first encountered by explorer David Thompson.-Boundaries:The Kootenays are more or less defined by the Kootenay Land...
. He participated in many solo and group exhibitions across Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the globe, both in solo and group shows, until his death in 1992.