| Marita's challenge is to capture a universal essence and mood rather than to depict a specific individual. It is this universality that Marita sees in the strong, stoical, enduring quality of the American Indian. |
Originals
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Limited Editions
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Open Editions |
Miniatures |
| Because of her subject matter, Marita Parisi is frequently asked if she is Native American. She is not. Why then her interest in Native American subjects? In her own words: |
| "The land, its wildlife and its people have been, and continue to be, an integral part of my life; hence, my subject matter reflects this. Native Americans embody for me an intense love of and respect for the land, its sacredness, its power and its wealth. We seem to have lost sight of so much that once was. My purpose is to try to tell a story through my drawings that will make us reflect even a little on the treasures we have all around us." |
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| Although Marita sometimes uses photographic references, (especially in her early works when she was teaching herself to draw), her images come from deep within. Her purpose is not historical accuracy, nor is she attempting to depict individuals or tribes. |
| "I go by feel, by intuition. I just know when it feels right," she explains. "To attempt to explain in words what is in essence emotion makes academic and scientific that which eludes explanation. I want people to feel something when they look at my work, not to worry about what the piece means or what I, the artist, intended it to mean. One of the finest accolades I ever had was from a woman looking at one of my pieces. She said nothing, but wept quietly with a smile upon her face. That spoke volumes. Highest praise indeed." |
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| Marita wishes to be considered a "Storyteller" through her images --- not a storyteller using words to convey her ideas and feelings, rather a storyteller through her visual depiction of faces which she has drawn to inhabit her own inner world and to reflect her own philosophies and beliefs. |
| "In so many ways the characters I draw reflect what I wish to be -- wise, serene, stoic, powerful, spiritual and human. They are my teachers and my guides. And I thank them." |
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