“I’m really interested in the way our lives are built up out of memory and history,” Jose Parlá told Architectural Digest in 2019, “and how we reflect that in our surroundings.” Painting spontaneously, collaging the surface of the canvas with many layers of oil, acrylic, and paper—much as exterior walls in a city are layered with paint, posters, and time—Parlá invokes the racial and political tensions of the street, while paying tribute to the energy of the Bronx, a profound influence on his work. During the pandemic, Parlà was struck with the coronavirus and his chances of recovery looked bleak. He survived, and returning to health he painted the emotion-filled series “Polarities,” on view here. —Elena Clavarino