Richard Grieco Interview in Art Catalogue by the Sea

You may recall that shortly after Richard's gallery opening in September, Gallerie Sparta shared a photo from an "art magazine shoot." Print magazines have a long lead time, so it wasn't until this week that the interview surfaced. It's well worth the wait.

Art Catalogue by the Sea's multi-page spread on Richard Grieco includes an in-depth interview, several photos of Richard with and creating his artwork and images of many of his paintings.

While fans will have heard much of the background before, Richard talks at length about what art means to him. And, perhaps most interesting to me, he shares the story of how his Soul Bottles came into being and how his process with them differs from the way he paints on canvas.

The piece is well worth a read whether you're a fan from the television days or an art enthusiast--and, if you discovered Richard during his 21 Jump Street days, you'll probably like his new look. Added bonus: the publication is filled with gorgeous artwork from others, as well.

Richard Grieco "Artist in Residence" at Gallerie Sparta

Richard Grieco often sports interesting jewelry.
For opening night, he was decked out by Mark Lash.

The premiere Los Angeles showing of Richard Grieco’s artwork at Gallerie Sparta ran from August 10 to September 8, but gallery owners Stephan Sparta and Lee Bowers want you to know it’s not really over.
The gallery is representing Grieco, and plans to keep his paintings on display for the foreseeable future. That means that if you’re in the Los Angeles area, you can stop by to check out Richard’s artwork any time during regular gallery hours—and maybe take a piece home with you.

By email last week, Bowers told me a bit about the pair’s history with Grieco and what the future holds. The relationship began when Bowers and Sparta met Grieco at and AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) auction earlier this year. (You may recall that this wasn’t Richard’s first involvement with APLA—some of the first widespread coverage of Richard’s artwork came after he donated a painting for the organization’s 2012 auction.) A week after this year’s event, Bowers and Sparta visited Richard’s studio to see more of his work.

I asked Bowers what it was about Richard’s work that made them want to represent him, and she said, “The energy and color and texture of his paintings in person are powerful and emit emotion.” The fact that Bowers made this distinction about seeing Grieco’s work “in person” intrigued me, as I’ve found online images of the paintings plenty compelling. After this discussion, I’m even more interested in seeing Richard’s artwork “live”.

On the red carpet, Johnny Mathis said he'd come
out to the opening to support his golf buddy.

Bowers also weighed in on the question I posed in an earlier post, saying that she believes Richard’s prior celebrity has had a positive impact on the reception of his artwork. Richard himself said recently that he hates the celebrity label. But, whether he likes it or not, decades of name recognition and a solid network of Hollywood connections put him in a different position from the typical artist premiering his work.

Fortunately, there seems to be general agreement that the work stands on its own. So, if you're going to be in the LA area, don't miss the opportunity to see it in all its glory. Gallerie Sparta is located at 8641 Sunset Boulevard.

Richard Grieco is back in the spotlight to premiere his revolutionary art!

Though I've already written about Richard's upcoming show at Gallerie Sparta, I decided to share this press release as well because it offers some additional information, and, frankly, because I'm happy to see the professional promotion behind this event. 


LOS ANGELES, July 29, 2013 -- /PRNewswire/ - Richard Grieco, known as a cultural icon for his masterful performance in the hit 80's sensation 21 Jump Street among other acting credits including If Looks Could Kill, Mobsters and A Night At The Roxbury, is excited to announce the opening of his one-man art exhibit, Sanctum of a Dreamer!

After a break from the industry to hone his craft on canvas, Grieco has returned as the premier artist who coined the phrase 'abstract-emotionalism'. Remarking about his style and momentous pieces, Grieco comments, "My work is capturing lightning in a bottle, it's a pure unbridled emotion. I am a painter who puts his emotions on canvas and honestly my work is as much part of my life as breathing."

Grieco, along with celebrity friends and art enthusiasts, will showcase his historic, one-of-a-kind paintings on Thursday August 15th during an opening night red carpet event at the new French international art gallery, Gallerie Sparta (8641 Sunset Blvd.) in West Hollywood on the famed Sunset Plaza. Gallerie Sparta's owner Stephan Sparta states, "Richard's passion for painting, focused over a twenty year period of personal exploration has developed into his own emotional visual language. We have been following his ascent and are excited to be the exclusive gallery to premier his explosive paintings in Los Angeles."

A portion of proceeds from sales throughout the exhibit will be donated to the Wolf Connection Foundation, a rescue sanctuary seeking to strengthen the instinctual bond between youths and animals.

For further information, media inquires or opening night media accreditation, please contact Zack Teperman - zack@lexiconpublicrelations.com

SOURCE Lexicon Public Relations