Interview by David Perez Shadi December 6th, 2006 marks the date of the opening of Jose Parla's much anticitpated solo show during Art Basel in Miami Beach. To celebrate this highly acclaimed exhibition, Parla joined forces with Spoonfed to create series of products highlighting his career. The following is an interview with Jose Parla and Sponfed Brand Director Al Moran exclusively for Highsnobiety. How did this exhibition come about? JP - The Cityscapes exhibition came about due to a number of different factors. During the year I had been traveling a lot for exhibitions in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. So, my time had been completely consumed up until September. At that time I met Al, through his wife Carla, and he asked me what I was planning for Art Basel this year. I replied that I was too busy all year to have made any plans and at that time they generously offered to host my exhibition in Miami. We agreed and between all our friends and the crew at Spoonfed we pieced it together. We're really amazed at what we've been able to accomlish in such short time. I had contacted Manon Slome, who is the curator at the Chelsea Art Museum in New York, and she was on board to curate the show and write for the book we're also publishing under the name Cityscapes as well. Have you been planning on doing a solo show in Miami for some time now? JP - I've not been planning a show for Miami because I was busy doing work up until the time I met Al and Carla, this has all come together in the last 3 months! We've all been working non-stop to make this a memorable show. Why did you choose Jose's artwork to exhibit during Art Basel? AM - Jose and I really clicked from the first day we met. This thing happened so quickly that no one really had time to think. My wife is responsible for 99% of this thing because she brought us together. There really was no question about it though, we wanted to do a big event for Basel and once I met Jose the whole thing just played out in my head. It just felt right. He's worked so hard to make this a reality and I can't wait to see people's reaction to his show. Being that your roots are in Miami, did you feel any added pressure to show the local community what you've been up to since you left? JP - I've not really felt any pressure but I have worked extra hard to make a body of work that can encompass an evolution of my work since I left Miami. Many friends see it as a home coming exhibition which I think is very fitting because it is my debut solo show in Miami. I have been very excited to share this moment with family, and with old and new friends in the city that is my original stomping grounds. I lived one block away from the exhibition space and in Miami Beach for years, so it's a familiar feeling to show there under the pretense of my own history. How about you Al, any pressure to wow the home crowd? AM - Honestly, we do so many events year round that we're always expected to do things at an extremely high level. The expectations are always there for us. The whole Spoonfed team (Bill Spector, Angel Febres, and Raul Sanchez in particular), has really pulled out all the stops for this exhibition so I know it's going to be major. How did you connect with the Spoonfed crew and how have they contributed to this exhibition? JP - I was in Los Angeles preparing an exhibition when I received an email from Carla Moran, who is AlÕs wife. She wanted to purchase a painting as a birthday gift for him and we worked things out and I sent the artwork from LA. We met in NYC a few weeks later at a Spoonfed event with Bill Spector and it was all love and friends. That night we went to dinner and connected very well and had our first conversation on the possibility of doing a show in Miami for Art Basel. Spoonfed has been extremely generous with all their support for my work. They have done an amazing job with all the logistics of the show, from promoting the exhibition, and to educating people about the and history of the art work. Spoonfed is publishing my first book and also printed the most beautiful invites. I canÕt say enough about how grateful I am to have met a family of people who are of my same generation and love art and can be as friendly and easy to work with. Much love to all the Spoonfed crew!