Jose Parla And The Art Of Paving

By Octavia Silva / October 27th, 2011 in Art / Brooklyn, New York / 280 views

Taking something as ordinary as the process of making cement and turning it into an all-consuming whirlwind of textures and sounds can be quite a challenge. Add a piano score to give it just the right amount of drama and you’ve got The Parlá Brothers’ new short Character Gestures—an art film they created and released with The Standard Hotel—the first half of which almost has us running to the hardware store in the hopes of creating a similar experience.

The second half of the film takes us to an entirely different place, increasing the tempo of the music, giving it a much more vibrant Miami-vibe (the artist’s hometown). Here, we are introduced to more than just cement-making, but rather a more commercial view of Parlá’s art, which is highly reminiscent of Jackson Pollock.

While artist José Parla is creating his new work, his brother Rey Parlá is behind the lens as the film’s director. José has been working with The Standard for quite some time now, designing scarves and t-shirts for their store, giving them his signature brushstrokes and color layers.