JOHN MAC KAH - Rapid River Magazine

R A P I D R I V E R A R T S
fine art
PART 1 OF 2:
A CANDID TALK WITH
Greg Vineyard
Rapid River Magazine: Who is
Greg Vineyard?
Greg Vineyard: Like so many in
the art world, I’m an amalgam of
experiences, and fluidly changing... I’m
currently a ceramic studio artist upstairs at
Constance Williams Gallery in the River
Arts District, an art consultant advising
clients on design and branding and a writer.
And I don’t think a day goes by that I
haven’t drawn or doodled.
Drawing was my first love and I still occasionally
illustrate and create mixed-media.
My career includes activities in both fine
art and corporate creative work, along with
some unusual jobs here and there, like icerink
life guard, pet nanny and art museum
tour guide.
RRM: Tell us about your creations.
GV: Consistent themes you will find
running through my work are meditation,
contemplation, communication and
connectivity. Bowls are colorful, tactile and
out-of-round so both your eyes and your
fingers can engage. While some are highlycarved
with patterns, my “Communication
Animals” are purposely simplistic so that a
person can more easily overlay their own
definitions as they engage with the art.
Some are in pairs and have interchangeable
word or symbol tiles to further the
communication activity. I originally went
into ceramics to design tiles, and I still enjoy
doing that, too. It’s like my clay version of
drawing.
Kinda Sorta
by Greg Vineyard
Another theme is alteration. Being
off-center or out-of-round evokes ideas
from Japan, where there is a sincere appreciation
for that which is perfect in its
imperfection. When I let the bowl become
what it wants to be, the results can be both
humbling and beautiful.
INTERVIEWED BY DENNIS RAY
Greg Vineyard is an artist and
creative consultant.
RRM: When did you first start selling your
art and when did you know creating art
would be your life’s work?
GV: My very first trade was in 1978, an illustration
in exchange for a couple books
on drawing the human figure. Real selling
didn’t occur until I went back to school for
ceramics, but I had always known I wanted
to be an artist as far back as I can remember.
I have a BFA, with a concentration in
Graphic Design. In my design career, it was
about creating visions and concepts, so I
still felt involved in an artistic process, but
nothing’s quite the same as conté crayon on
newsprint, or hands in clay. Once I started
having annual conceptual salons with my
clay pieces, sales became a regular thing.
RRM: How has your work developed
over the years?
GV: In ceramics, I think the major developments
are in my head — that I came to
embrace imperfections and trust that they
are interesting, and to firmly believe that
creating is more important than selling.
And that ideation is more important than
functionality. I think every creation has a
function. A rice bowl displayed in a glass
case is still serving a purpose. In a hands-on
way, my work keeps evolving to be more
tactile, more interactive.
RRM: A lot of your work tells stories or
allows the viewer to create or work out
stories about themselves. Why approach art
this way?
GV: I think many kids - and adults - need
art activities and art in their lives in order
to simply feel OK on the planet. For some
of us it’s like air, for others it can even be
therapy. When people are given the opportunity
to play with a pairing or grouping of
animals, sometimes with word tiles or other
assemblage items, they have a chance to
identify, connect, decide and resolve.
Part two of this interview will run next month
in our River Arts District special section.
will show you how to keep more
of your money by spending less of it. You can barter for
many of the goods and services you are currently using
your hard earned money to buy.
@
Vol. 14, No. 9 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — May 2011 35