Richard Grieco Artist Profile

Richard talks about his artwork in this short video filmed in his studio. It's a little more in-depth and personal than the responses we usually see when Richard is asked about his art on camera, and includes a pretty decent impression of Dennis Hopper.


Artist Profiles featuring Hollywood Actor and Painter Richard Grieco - Los Angeles, CA - 2015 Artist Roster from Amanda Brown on Vimeo.

Richard Grieco on 22 Jump Street, Abstract Emotionalism and Coming Out as an Artist

Great interview on Studio 11 LA. Richard talks about his appearance in 22 Jump Street, the original 21 Jump Street series and his artwork. He even gets in a mention of The Apostate, a movie he appeared in with Dennis Hopper many years ago, during which Hopper encouraged him to go public with his painting. If you haven't seen that one, it's worth a watch, albeit definitely creepy. Los Angeles News | FOX 11 LA KTTV

Richard Grieco is Not a Scientologist

Just in case you were wondering.

There's been a recent flurry of Internet searches on the subject, and self-proclaimed experts confirming the rumors in comments on various websites.

I didn't really think Grieco was a Scientologist, but I decided to employ a radical technique I learned back when I was writing for local newspapers: I asked him.

The mere question was enough to drive the man to all caps.  As in, "I AM NOT". There may also have been an "lol" involved.

See how easy that was?

Hey, Grieco...you a Scientologist?

Nope.

Okay, then.

Grieco says his only affiliation with the Church of Scientology is that he recently showed his artwork at the Church's Celebrity Centre.  And, the two bursts of Internet speculation about his connections with Scientology do track to the week the show was announced and the week it actually took place.

In fact, Richard has been increasingly focused on his artwork over the past few years. In August, Gallerie Sparta hosted his Los Angeles premiere showing, and with new representation, significant press coverage and attention from the art world in play, we'll undoubtedly be seeing his work in more and more venues.

Most of those will also not signal religious affiliations.

Film News Interview with Richard Grieco

This interview from the UK website Film News overlaps quite a bit with the Art Catalogue by the Sea piece I posted yesterday, but there are a few additions. And, in addition to the bonus questions, it's always nice to see word spreading in a variety of venues.

Of course, every new foray into the public eye brings out the good and the bad: though Richard is getting a lot of great coverage for his artwork and those in the industry seem to have only good things to say, the celebrity gossip crowd isn't always so kind. Example: yesterday's Warm Glow piece, "Richard Grieco Would Like to Sell You a Bottle He Painted for $1800."

Seems to me before anyone gets too amused, they might want to take a peek at the "Sold" page on Grieco's website...even I was surprised by how many times I had to click that "Show More" button to get them all to display.

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.

Minutes to Midnight Update

Last month, we learned that Richard Grieco had been cast as the Sheriff in the upcoming thriller / horror flick Minutes to Midnight. At that point, we knew that Kane Hodder and WWE's John Hennigan would also appear in the film, that the story centered on a series of murders in a ski lodge on New Year's Eve and that Friday the 13th franchise composer Harry Manfredini had signed on for the score.

This week, joblo.com told us that Bill Mosely and John Kapelos had also joined the cast.

More interestingly, the update also included new plot details, including the fact that one of the villains is a painter who uses human blood in his work, to capture the souls of his victims. Though it's a fairly unusual niche, this won't be the first time Grieco has portrayed a character investigating a murderous artist. In The Apostate, Richard stars as a priest drawn in to the investigation of a serial killer when his younger brother becomes a victim.

That role, as you may know, turned out to be life-altering for Grieco. It was co-star Dennis Hopper (the murderous artist) who persuaded Richard to go public with his real-life artwork, now emerging as the cornerstone of his creative and professional life.

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 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. 

Own a Piece of Richard Grieco's 21 Jump Street History

Blue Jean Red contains a piece of 21 Jump Street history--scraps of jeans that Richard wore on the show.

If you love Richard Grieco's artwork and were a fan of Booker, you have the opportunity to obtain a one-of-a-kind painting that's also a rare bit of memorabilia. A news article yesterday mentioned that these jeans were on set with Johnny Depp, but I'm sure if you're reading this blog, you're more interested in where else they've been ;)

I love that Richard kept these jeans for more than 20 years, and what it seems to say that two decades later, he cut them up and incorporated them into his artwork. 

You can't just walk in and buy this painting, though. Demand is expected to be high, and it's going to the highest bidder in a silent auction. 

Bidding starts at $16,600. You can bid by email to GallerieSparta@gmail.com. 

It's not clear at this point how long bidding is open, but I'm trying to obtain that information and will update as soon as possible.

A high auction price should bring some well-deserved media attention to Richard's artwork, so please share!

New to Richard Grieco's artwork? View the gallery here: Richard Grieco Fine Art

UPDATE: According to Gallerie Sparta co-owner Lee Bowers, bidding closes at midnight Pacific time on September 6. See the current bid or submit a bid at: http://www.galleriesparta.com/silentauction.html

The Origins of Richard Grieco's Painting

In honor of the fact that Richard Grieco's Los Angeles premiere officially opens tomorrow with a red carpet event at Gallerie Sparta on Sunset Boulevard (his work is on display from August 10-September 6), I wanted to share this article from last year, in which Richard talks about when and how he started painting.

The magical turning point he describes took place during filming of If Looks Could Kill, and it sounds as if painting has been Grieco's first love since. Though it's only been the past few years that Richard says he's been pulling back from acting in order to focus on his painting, this story makes me wonder whether this drive in another direction might have played a role in some of his much earlier career choices, as well.

Richard Grieco of 21 Jump Street Blows His Cover: He's a Serious Painter Now, No Joke

Here's hoping tomorrow brings the recognition that Grieco clearly deserves as an artist.

Will Richard Grieco's Fame Help or Hurt His Career as an Artist?

Richard Grieco's fans from the old days have jumped right on board as cheerleaders for his artwork. That's not surprising: his fan base appears to be very loyal and his artwork is damned good. But will those fans and Richard's early fame be good or bad for his career as a painter?

Since I once made my living in Internet marketing, my first thought was that Richard's fan base was a gold mine in terms of spreading the word. He (or someone) has done a great job of getting press coverage for his artwork, but in the era of social media that coverage is only as good as its dissemination. From that viewpoint, having thousands of people invested in promoting your work is a definite benefit.

But, of course, the world of marketing and public relations is rarely so simple. Perception is sometimes more powerful than reality, and the unfortunate fact is that many, many celebrities dabble--some of whom should probably keep their hobbies private. It seems, sometimes, that every actor in Hollywood is in a band on the side and every actress is publishing a children's book. The same gallery showing Richard's work features Jane Seymour on their website, and Rick Springfield has a novel coming out next year.

As I've mentioned before, talented people tend to be talented. Many of those celebrities do, in fact, have other talents, and their work in other fields is quite good. And you already know that I strongly believe that Richard is not an actor who took up painting but an artist who happens to do some acting. But I'm not a critic, and I'm not a collector.

Is Richard's name recognition a blessing or a curse as he unveils his work to the world?  I'm not sure, and I'm hoping to hear your thoughts in the comments or the forums. For the moment, I'm holding my breath a little.

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

Richard Grieco at Gallerie Sparta in August

Photo courtesy of Richard Grieco. (c) 2013

If you're one of the many who have been clamoring on Twitter and in other social media outlets about wanting to see Richard's artwork in all its full-scale glory, you're in luck--at least, if you're in the Los Angeles area or willing to travel.

The Gallerie Sparta will be showing Richard's paintings from August 10 through September 1. Location and hours are posted on the Gallerie's Facebook page.

If you're not familiar with Richard Grieco's paintings, I'd strongly suggest that you take a few minutes a couple of hours to browse his website, Grieco Fine Art. Back in February, I posted about my initial response to Grieco's artwork, but even in that relatively short period of time, the paintings Richard is posting have evolved.

What intrigued me most back in the winter was that so many of his paintings appeared to have an underlying layer that had been at least partially obscured by masses of fine lines. For me, this brought to mind a person writing down his secrets and then covering them over, so they'd been poured out onto the page but remained secure. Those paintings aroused my curiosity, creating some sense that if I looked closely enough I might be able to read pieces of that obscured message.

I really liked that batch and was a little sorry to see that period fade away so quickly, but the variety that's emerged since has been just as compelling. I was recovering from surgery when Looking Through Forest Blind appeared, and I was pretty sure that I'd heal faster with that piece on my wall.  Though the title suggests that it might not have been intended this way, the fine lines and light, bright colors gave me a sunny, hopeful feeling. On the other hand, pieces like Richard's recent Self Portrait # 1 make me worry about what's going on inside the man.

The vast majority, though, simply convey bold emotion in a way that makes it clear that, whatever other talents Grieco might have, pouring his soul out onto canvas is what he was born to do. If you're interested in these paintings because you were a 21 Jump Street fan or because you happen to have noticed that the artist himself is really freaking beautiful, you're missing something. They'd hit you just as hard on the wall of a little gallery in Provincetown or a coffee shop in Chicago.

Richard Grieco Art

I've written before about Richard Grieco's painting, so this is going to be a short post.  I'm revisiting today because Richard has revamped his painting website and it's worth checking out even if you browsed the old site. 

In addition to better showcasing of his artwork that makes the texture much clearer, the new site includes some photos of Richard painting, a new bio specifically related to his artwork, videos and links to a number of articles about his painting and gallery show.

Always makes me wish I had tens of thousands of uncommitted dollars lying around. 

Current Richard Grieco Movies

First, an apology to regular readers: much of this post will be a re-run for you.  I have a good reason, though--in the past week, we've had more than 500 brand new visitors.  That's a lot of people looking for information about Richard, and I want to make sure that his current projects are easy to find.

So first, a quick recap of current/upcoming Richard Grieco films (click titles to view trailers):

AE: Apocalypse Earth has Richard and Highlander star Adrian Paul battling for survival on a strange and hostile planet.  It's available on DVD May 28, and you can pre-order it now through Richard Grieco's official website store.

After Midnight is a paranormal mystery from Fred Olen Ray, also starring Tawny Kitaen.  No release date/information seems to be available for this one yet, but it is slated for later this year.

A House is Not a Home remains a bit of a mystery to me, even after watching the trailer.  It's about a family that moves into a new house and is driven to move past their problems with one another and work together when they're haunted.  I think Richard is the thing that's haunting them (or one of them), but it's tough to tell for sure.  One thing that caught my attention about this one was that Richard is listed as a co-producer.

In addition to those three movies that are slated for release this year, there are two kind of floating around in the sea of uncertain futures right now.

Cats Dancing on Jupiter was apparently completed in 2011 and has done the festival circuit, but not been more widely release as yet.  It appears that the producers are holding off on a DVD release in hopes of a theatrical release, and I'd love to see that.  The movie also stars Amanda Righetti from The Mentalist, former Disney star Annalies Van der Pol and once-upon-a-time teen heartthrob Rex Smith.  The storyline involves two young women whose seductive games don't end as their targets hope--unless that poor slob at the bar really wanted to end his night being dismembered in someone's barn. Side note: Richard has some very interesting blond streaks in his hair in this one, probably because his character appears to be a pretentious ass.

The other wildcard is called Coachella Massacre, and appears to be a horror movie set at the Coachella music festival.  Other than that, this one remains a complete mystery: it's still classified as "under development," the usual sources don't offer up much (read: any) information and the few casual inquiries I've sent out to people involved have netted no response. 

I saw a Tweet this week that said "I wish #RichardGrieco played in more movies," but that isn't really the issue:  I think what we all wish is that Richard's movies were better promoted so that fans weren't sitting around wishing he'd make a new movie when he's actually cranking them out lately.

Side note: It's not just about the movies!  If you've been out of the loop for a while, you really should check out Richard's artwork.  You may know that he's been painting for most of his adult life--he apparently started developing his current genre on the set of If Looks Could Kill--but in the past few years it's become much more than a hobby.  He's done at least one gallery show and is selling paintings for tens of thousands of dollars. 

Regular readers:  I'll be back with something new in a day or two.  I'm gathering information on the likelihood that Richard will appear in the second 21 Jump Street movie and how we may be able to help make sure that happens.

Working Furiously

Looks like recently, Richard has only come up for air long enough to Tweet new paintings.

Actually, I have absolutely no idea whether or not that's true--no clue what's happening in his real life or how long it takes him to create one of those pieces of artwork.  He has, however, posted two new pieces on Twitter this week.

This one kind of scared me when I first looked at it.  Which, given the name, might be the point. 

But that subject line wasn't really about him.  Over the past few days, I've been starting to get my energy back and get my head back into a few little projects like a book I was supposed to have finished back in December.  And, of course, try to make up for having had no income for more than three months.

When I started this blog a couple of months back, I suspected that I'd just let it die when this day came, but as I've gotten healthier and to feeling more like myself, the nature of my interest has shifted a bit.  Stay tuned...I may not be posting every day as I play catch-up with my life, but this isn't over.

Time to Get Serious

I've been putting this post off almost from the beginning, because it doesn't really fit the tone of this blog, but it's time to talk about Richard Grieco's painting.

It turns out that standing around and looking pretty is not the man's main talent. And I say that with no intended slight...he's just really, really good at standing around and looking pretty.  But he's better with a paintbrush.  Errr...a paintsomething.  I'm not at all sure that he's using brushes--certainly not exclusively.

I expected Grieco's artwork to be decent. In my experience creative people are...well...creative.  I don't know many artists who have just one talent.  I didn't, however, expect to think, "Hey, I need that in my living room...I could buy a black couch. And, you know, replace the wood with something in lacquer or chrome. Yeah, that would go better." 

This is not a biased view.  I know that for sure because while I was looking at the paintings--and I looked at every one--I sort of forgot how I'd gotten there.  I forgot that I was stalking Richard Grieco and became entirely immersed in the work.  I do not believe--and I was surprised by this--that these paintings are selling for tens of thousands of dollars because Richard Grieco painted them. I think they're selling because they're the kind of art people want to acquire.

 

You should check them out yourself, if you haven't.  But here are just a few of the things that intrigued me:

 

Most of my favorite pieces feature masses of fine lines more or less obscuring the canvas.  Aesthetically, they're attention-catching, but what really caught my attention about these pieces is that many of them give the sense of having something else underneath.  Maybe the something else is abstract, maybe it's only an idea--hell, maybe it's only an idea in my mind and I'm reading too much in.  But I get a sense of layers, of something buried beneath those tangled lines.  It makes me want to look more closely, to catch a glimpse of what it is, even though I'm not at all sure that it's really there.

 

I also found the titles more interesting than I do most, because so many of them could easily be taken two ways, and the painting feeds the interpretation of the title and vice versa.

 

Grieco describes these paintings as unfiltered emotion, and I don't disbelieve him.  However, there is at the same time an element of subterfuge about them, as if someone has written his secrets on a page and then scrawled over them so that they're fully expressed without being fully understood.