At the Stevenson Union here at Southern Oregon University, students may be familiar with the third floor gallery, where some of today’s hottest artists are represented in full, with their many works on display for all to see. As of Friday, Oct. 7, local SOU graphic designer Gregory Martin’s work, a selection of pieces forming the collectively-titled “Headspace” is on display and open to the public, open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturdays 9 a.m. to noon.
According to the press release from the Stevenson Union gallery staff, Gregory’s art is a “contemporary sock in the jaw” in terms of his unique style and bold imagery. The gallery is known for featuring contemporary artists who push the limits of modern varieties in the medium of painting, photography, and other aspects, and “Headspace” is no different. With well over a dozen individual works as part of the series, each is different than the last but with distinct graphical similarities. Any fan of the arts would be remiss to ignore this opportunity. The gallery will be displaying Gregory Martin’s “Headspace” exhibit until the 28th of October. For more information, you can check out the gallery in person on the third floor of the Stevenson Union, or look for more information at thegalleryatstevensonunion.blogspot.com.
Martin cites Rauschenberg, Diebenkorn, de Kooning, and Jasper Johns, as specific influences, and abstract expressionism in general as a source of inspiration. Additional touchstones include graffiti, graphic design, and the opening credits of films. Asked to relate something about his process, Martin says, “It starts with the action of paint on surface, interplay of color and form, and what narrative I can find while navigating the space. The stories emerge over the life of the painting. Characters evolve and begin suggesting language, which usually takes the form of typography in the piece itself. The language is disassociated, dreamlike. Numbers and isolated words reflect either the interior dialogue of the subjects or the heavily labeled environments they occupy. It’s . . . well, it’s a headspace.”
Gregory Martin contributed to this article.
