Ray Parker was an American artist known for his Lyrical-Abstractionist paintings. Melding his appreciation for jazz, Henri Matisse, and Color Field painting, Parker produced unique works reflecting various emotional states. His work has often been likened to those of his contemporaries, including Morris Louis, Jules Olitski, and Helen Frankenthaler. Born on August 22, 1922 in Beresford, SD, Parker attended the University of Iowa in Iowa City, earning his MFA there in 1948. After associating with artists including Mark Rothko and Willem de Kooning during the 1950s, Parker started using more intense colors and geometric shapes. During his life he taught at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and Hunter College in New York. The artist died on April 14, 1990 in New York, NY. Today, his works are included in the collections of the Tate Gallery in London, The Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.