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.

A House is Not a Home Wins Best Horror Feature at Burbank International Film Festival

A House is Not a Home is interesting for a number of reasons. One is that Richard is listed as "co-producer," on the film, a role he hasn't played often in his movie career. Another is that A House is Not a Home star Gerald Webb, in his interview on the red carpet at Grieco's recent gallery opening, said the film was the first-ever straight horror film with a primarily black cast.

No word yet on a general release date for the movie, but it premiered last week at the Burbank International Film Festival and walked away with the award for Best Horror Feature Film. Richard's appearance in the trailer is brief and creepy and we haven't heard a lot about his "character," so this one should hold some surprises. Here's the trailer, in case you haven't seen it. I'll update with additional festival and/or general release information.

Richard Grieco on Conversations LIVE

Richard talked with Cyrus Webb on Blog Talk Radio this week. One thing I'm really enjoying about this round of interviews is that there's been something new in each one. In this discussion, Grieco talks about his early artistic inclinations, his motivation to move beyond the working-class town where he grew up and even offers some advice for those chasing their own dreams.

Listen here: Richard Grieco on Conversations LIVE with Cyrus Webb

Blue Jean Red Auction Update

As I reported earlier this month, Gallerie Sparta is auctioning a very special piece of Richard Greico's artwork. While a number of Richard's paintings are on sale in the gallery through September 6, Blue Jean Red is unique--and is being offered separately through a silent auction.

You probably know by now that Richard incorporates a variety of materials into his artwork. In Blue Jean Red, he's incorporated a souvenir he's been holding on to for more than two decades: pieces of the pair of jeans he wore during his last episode of 21 Jump Street.

If you're a fan of Richard's artwork and Dennis Booker, this is the perfect opportunity to own a one-of-a-kind piece of both. 

Bidding currently stands at $16,600, and increases in increments of $1,000. That means if you'd like to take the painting home, your next bid is $17,600. 

You can check the current bid on the painting, view the piece and submit a big through Gallerie Sparta's website.

BIDDING CLOSES AT MIDNIGHT PACIFIC TIME ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2013.

In case you missed it the first time around, here's the painting:

Richard Grieco on Teens Wanna Know

This video has a couple of things going for it.  The first is the teen interviewer, who is better prepared than many of his adult colleagues are at this type of event and does a great job interviewing celebrities across three or four generations.

The second is the moment when Richard imitates his pet squirrel.

Okay, I liked when he kissed the wolf, too, but I didn't want to give everything away.

Side note: Mackenzie Bourg, who appears in this video and the Phat Magazine interview, has a Kickstarter running to get his first CD out. If you're reading this before September 4 and want to give him a boost, you can donate or share his page here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mackenziebourg/everyones-got-a-story-ep

Richard Grieco Talks to Phat Magazine

I've been gathering up coverage of Richard's opening at Gallerie Sparta, but it's becoming clear that there's going to be far too much to summarize and share in one post.  That's great news--Grieco's artwork is getting a lot of attention from far-flung corners of the media.

In the clip below, Phat Mag talks with Richard and a number of the guests on the red carpet. I'll leave you to judge for yourself just how late in the evening Richard's interview might have taken place.

 

Much more to come; I have about a dozen write-ups and videos from the opening to share, not to mention information about the two non-profits the show supports. 

Looks Like Someone Got a Haircut...

I'm holding off writing about Richard's art opening for a couple of reasons: one is that he's getting plenty of press on that subject right now (great to see) and the other is that I'm waiting for some information I want to include.

In the meantime, I thought I'd share the link to this photo posted by Gallerie Sparta this afternoon. Apparently, it's from a photo shoot for an art magazine, and Richard's shy several inches of hair compared with opening night.

I kind of miss the messy locks, but the new look has a certain air of dignity about it. Check it out here, then let me know what you think.