Gregory Grenon
Gregory Grenon is one of the most recognized and well-followed artists in the Northwest. We are pleased to present a series of his recent lithographs printed at Mahaffey Fine Art as well as prints from the 1970s forward. For this exhibition, entitled Unspeakable Hair, he continues his study of the human character. His approach to the human form is incredibly honest. In his words, his images reveal “personal places of the heart verbatim.” These images, mostly female, are portrait-like in their outward engagement with the viewer. They are strong figures, haunting and frank. Grenon engages the viewer with a dynamic range of intensely expressive characters, made compelling through their unusual compositions and unexpected color. The result is an expressive look at the thoughts and internal rhythms embedded within these works.
Gregory Grenon grew up in Detroit where he studied at the College for Creative Studies and Wayne State University. After a stint in Chicago, where he furthered his printmaking skills at Landfall Press, he moved to the Pacific Northwest. Throughout his career, he has had one-person exhibitions throughout the region as well as in New York, Chicago, Boston and New Orleans. He has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Oregon Arts Commission. His work is in numerous private and public collections including the Hallie Ford Museum of Art, Willamette University, Salem, OR; the Portland Art Museum; the Seattle Art Museum; the Tacoma Art Museum; the Boise Art Museum; Philbrook Museum, Tulsa, OK; and New York Public Library.