Gregory Siff: To Understand Time

Gregory Siff’s emotive artistry is fueled by his desire to connect with people. He communicates through a language of iconography that he’s created over the past two decades from personal experiences, consumer culture, and history. Using acrylic, oil, pencil, spray and markers, Siff’s work reflects the objects, brands, and characters that have compelled him to create; incorporating image fragments from reference material, memory, and from all things that have had an impact on him throughout his journey. For him, these kinds of images are what connects intimate objects to memories of the past, and dreams of the future.

The mixed-media works of art in To Understand Time see Siff pursuing strategies that combine aspects of painting and sculpture that resonate with the work of Robert Rauschenberg. Coining the term Survival Markers, Siff draws on materials from his everyday life; like reclaimed wood crates and old floor boards from his studio that create alternating visions, like a sign with multiple meanings.

Within To Understand Time is Siff's profound interconnectedness to his past, present, and what he sees as his future. He navigates themes ranging from the delicate balance between innocence and predation to the boundaries between existence and the afterlife. Through vivid recollections and poignant reflections, Siff's works are portals into the enigmatic landscapes of the human psyche, where emotions intertwine, memories resonate, and dreams converge with reality.

“I wanted you to look me in the eyes, I tried to tell you everything that was going on since you left here. The living room looked as it did when you were last in it. I sat on the white leather couch beside you, patiently repeating for you to look at me in the eyes so I can know it’s really you. You turned your head to the left and finally looked at me. I looked into your eyes, and I saw my blue eyes in your eye sockets. I knew at that moment you saw it all. I was no longer afraid of anything. You grabbed my knee with your grip like you always did and with the voice of a force in the world, you said powerfully, now you’re cooking with GAS.!” – A dream from Gregory Siff