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Artist Gregory Siff reminds us that there is ‘Evidence of Life’
Artist Gregory Siff is reminding us in his new exhibition Evidence of Life that despite the hardships in life, there’s a silver lining. And despite the thunderstorms of life, a clear sky calls us.
Our bodies and spirits sprint through the cacophonic rat race that is life in the 21st century. As soon as we rise from a night’s slumber, we’re immediately thrust into the schemes and happenings of the present day.
Social media and other media outlets fast track us to information that we may or may not want to be privy to at that moment. Whether we like it or not, we’re living in a hyper-digital world that seems to make the past feel obsolete.
It’s almost as if the memories of yesterday (for better or worse) become a faint whisper in the roaring winds of the present.
As harsh as it may seem, the truth is the truth. The answer is no and living will always be an undulating sea of serene and tumultuous experiences. Life in itself will always be a brutal challenge only fit for those willing to adapt and survive.
Yet, Siff is reminding us that there is indeed evidence of a joyous life waiting for us somewhere in a land that is much closer than we think. Somewhere beyond the sea lies a place where we can pause life and relish in all that makes living worthwhile.
While these words may read like they are from a C.S Lewis novel, they are more real than they appear to be. Where’s the proof, you ask? Look no further. There is Evidence of Life.
With residency throughout the month of February, Gregory Siff will be showcasing his exhibition Evidence of Life at the CASS Contemporary Gallery in Tampa, Florida on February 28.
In his traditional style, Evidence of Life will capture a “literal, yet open for interpretation of nostalgia and childhood.” Siff will be doing so through his “distinct emotionalism style” that fuses “unique elements of abstraction, pop, and action painting.”
The breadth of Siff’s artistic approach is made apparent throughout his catalog. Having worked with the likes of Pyer Moss’ Kerby Jean-Raymond, Balaram Stack and the MLB to Jay-Z’s Made in America and Yves Saint Laurent, Gregory Siff’s name speaks for itself.
Rather than adopting the mentality of a defeatist, Siff uses his artistry as a gentle reminder that no mountain is too high to climb or valley too low to traverse.
But such a statement needs firm backing. It’s one thing to say, “look on the bright side.” or “ there’s always a silver lining.” However, it’s another to live as optimistically as Gregory Siff does.
Luckily for us at Kulture Hub, we sat down with Siff and learned about his upcoming exhibition Evidence of Life and how it’s inspiring him to live life to the fullest.
How has everything been since you last spoke with Kulture Hub?
Gregory Siff (GS): Well the show in New York City in 2018 When You Were Little You Used to Color was the last time that we checked in.
The momentum has been real and it’s gone from making so many new pieces that have led to more collaborations. I did a huge collaboration and painted live for Major League Baseball at Complexcon last year.
Stance [socks] was through the summer. Stance flew me out to Japan to go paint live. We sold out of the collection there. I’ve never been to Tokyo before. I fueled up on such inspiration that you’re going to see in the new show.
I just really have been on a ride filled up with inspiration and it’s a good place to be. I painted a surfboard for Balaram Stack which he surfed and used in the Volcom Pipe Pro last year. I just found that art is finding its home on a lot of childhood dreams.
With your residency for “Evidence of Life” fast approaching, what has been your mindset leading up to this part of your journey?
GS: It’s great that you bring up the past. I did a lecture last night at the University of Tampa and I realized it’s been 10 years. It’s been a decade of me deciding to paint every day.
I was reminded of 2011 when I started painting for one of my first shows called the G Show 11-11-11 and I worked in a garage in Downtown LA. I didn’t have anything on my mind but building that show.
Now that I’m in Tampa, I’m getting the same sort of vibration and mentality of working in one space for four weeks straight building a show and having that kind of freedom. I’m in a very calm and excited headspace. I’m not trying to flex or impress. I’m just trying to say ‘enjoy what I put out there.’
How have you managed to keep the fire alive? What have some of your biggest inspirations over the course of your artistry?
GS: If you get stuck in rendition you’re going to be that same performer. You have to take ideas in your mind that you don’t think can come true and figure out how to do it.
I’m working with round circular canvases in the show. I’ve never done that before. I want that to be indicative of when people go, ‘Oh, that’s the Tampa show that happened at CASS.’
Sometimes we’re so in love with ourselves. Sometimes we go through the gamut of those emotions, but people don’t understand sometimes. So that’s how I keep the fire alive by new experiences like traveling. I went to Tulum. I went to Japan. I went to places that wake up your idea of what art is.
As an artist who incorporates emotionalism in their work, why do you think your art leaves lasting impressions on your viewers?
GS: I think that people understand the work in that nature because when I’m painting and telling the story, I’m thinking about the best times in my life.
I’m thinking about the people I shared them with. I’m trying to freeze those moments. I try to absorb as much as I can about what it is to be alive and put that into the crayon strokes and put that into the sprays.
You can freeze that sunset for just that moment. I also try to connect with my father when I’m painting. When I’m rocking and rolling, I know my dad’s up there dancing on the floor. I know it.
Who would you be if you weren’t an artist?
GS: I don’t want to know! The way that things happened and the choices that I made, I couldn’t see it ever going in a different way. I always said that I paint my way out of anything that happens in my life.
If there’s a problem I paint my way out of it. I can’t see myself doing something different. I’m still in love with it. I’m in love with artists. I’m in love with the way that they see the world. I’ll always know that there’s power in paint.
As you start to garner even more attention, what keeps you grounded? What keeps you humble?
GS: What keeps me humble is knowing that you’re not the only one.
Everybody is the hero of their own story. You’re going through things and you get highs and lows all the time. When it’s low just remember to use that in the work. And when you’re up really high it’s a lesson, when you’re rockin’ and rollin’ like that. It could just be another moment.
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It’s okay because that’s what makes the work real. That’s what makes you appreciate the touch when you do have it. Treat every day like you’re the intern. You can’t sweat the small things and you have to be grateful for what you have.
There’s nothing better than knowing that you’re in a safe place, but you want to know something?! There’s nothing more exciting than not knowing what’s going to happen next and then you get in there and you’re like ‘I gotta paint to survive!’ You don’t want to get cushy.
You don’t want to be sitting in a comfortable chair too long. You want to get some cuts on your hand. You don’t want the full eight hours of sleep. You want that to show up on the canvas!
What brings joy to you? What makes you happy?
GS: Rhythm! I like when the rhythm is going right. When music is giving me that and my brain starts clicking. The rhythm is what keeps me going. My girlfriend and the way that we want to keep going. She’s also an artist. We push each other. We drive each other. My friends make me happy. My mom.
Having everything all in order and then just exploding and getting all the paint out. Those “aha!” moments where you are don’t know where it comes from but there’s a trust and then you know what the piece is going to have. I love that.
Any last words for creatives or anyone?
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Burgertime. Photo @2wenty @chips_afoye #gregorysiff @4am_gallery #burger #siffstudio
GS: Carry that notebook with you and write down all the things you want to see come true. Write it in there. How you see it. Draw it out. Dream it up. Get it out there. Get it on the paper and then bring it to life because it’s possible. Many have done it and that could go for work, for life, for art.
“There’s nothing better than that, you know.”
The voyage of life is a personal quest. There’s no universal manual or guidebook. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to life’s challenges.
Life is the most personal experience that happens to you. It stands on the pillars of both the known and unknown. Uncharted terrains and waters await us. And though they can be daunting at times, always remember that your strength comes from within.
Your journey is yours to embrace and revel in. You are the star of your own [Truman] show. As Greg would say, “You’re the hero of your own story.”