The Lionheart Five: An Interview with Gregg Welz
Five questions we ask every Lionheart Gallery artist.
Gregg Welz, a lifelong resident of Norwalk, Connecticut, is a conceptual artist who configures cut and folded pieces of drawing paper into repeating patterns, creating gradations of light and cast shadow. From early watercolor lessons at the age of twelve to an art and design education at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, Welz has continued to experiment artistically. He notes that his imagination is influenced by geometries found throughout the environment, both natural and man-made.
1) Name one of your most defining moments as an artist.
Gregg Welz: A viewer’s reaction to my work, positive or negative, is a constant moment of pleasure for me. I enjoy viewers’ reactions; I am always queried on my patience.
2) Do you collect anything?
GW: I collect recollections, humorous and lighthearted.
3) If you could choose anyone—and we mean anyone—whom would you pick as a mentor?
GW: Sol LeWitt. His work always triggers my creativity, and I find inspiration in his symmetry and precision in detail.
I am drawn to my abstract process as a means of expressing the visual
symmetry around me: architecture, water patterns, or stone walls, for
instance. Using the grid confines or contains the composition to its
singular space; I envision the boundaries broken through to infinite
scale.
Here’s an image of my favorite Lewitt work:
4) What's the most indispensable item in your studio?
GW: The isolation.
5) Tell us about one piece of art in this exhibition. You might describe your inspiration, your process, the title, and what the work signifies to you.
GW: My latest paper cut Blues Frenzy was a hesitant departure from the
restrictive grid. Each white piece of paper is randomly cantilevered.
The blue paper squares maintain discipline. I am very pleased with the
result.
When I first created the "Paper Cuts" series, shadows were a pleasant after effect. As my work develops, I look forward to what the shadows may reveal.
Gregg Welz giving an artist’s talk at the PAPER CUTS opening reception, The Lionheart Gallery, May 2016
"Paper Cuts" is on view at The Lionheart Gallery from May 6, 2016-July 3, 2016.