Hello Mick,

Your right about a high level of technical skill and I sense a lot of care in his work. There are significant choices that Grey has made that point to his view of humanity in the world. He shows us the insides of the human body, similar to anatomical illustrations in medical text books and anatomy for artists. This aspect is deducted from knowledge he has gleaned from illustrative sources and, perhaps, if he has done research on cadavers (something I highly doubt). The contour of the bodies gives us only a mere suggestion that he has observed living human beings; this is significant as he chose to virtually reject human visual perception of the world around us. (Though I assume he would like us to see his paintings by their appearance.)

Inside and outside of the lovers' bodies he uses symbols: the circular figure eight, little licks of flames, and static lightening rods. These stress the importance of symbolism to him and again confirm the insignificance of the appearance of the real world to him, i.e. it is not significant enough to include.

I cannot speak with any authority or first hand experience about the affect of acid or hallucinatory drugs on my “awareness” of colors and forms but his work is reminiscent of the art, posters, music jacket covers from the drug induced state of the early 70’s hippy culture combined with visual aspects of Indian religious cults.

I am happy for you that you enjoy his work and thought but I cannot agree with your assessment that “his work [is] utterly grounded in the greatness and potential of humankind.”

Rather, I view it as an acidic electrical love fueled by subjective blindness.

Michael

In the 2^nd week of July I will be giving a lecture at TOC’s summer conference in upper New York State, The Quest for Exaltation, Truth, and Sensuality through Art, in which I will be discussing how sensory perception, idealism and realism (ethics for this earth), and passion figure in my art.

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“…depicting the inner workings of the human body seems like it could in some cases be a compelling artistic approach…Perhaps an occasional reminder of this very real (though rarely viewed) beauty is not out of order?.”

Hmmm. Would an outline and notes be compelling substitute for a novel? Would exposed plumbing, ventilation, and electrical gear be a beautiful replacement for the shaped space of architecture? On a date do you really want to hear a detailed expose of ten years of psychoanalysis? Greek and Renaissance artists and others have been fascinated and on a quest to show the inner workings of the soul and body by how it can be manifested in outward form.

I do have a fastidious distaste for flayed human beings…somehow it does not conjure up “wonder” for me.

Michael

(Edited by Newberry on 6/02, 9:12am)