Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/893293
8 WAC Magazine | wac.net e women of Portland-based painter Gregory Grenon's work—now in the Grand Staircase Gallery—are aloof, a little bit haughty, sometimes seductive, and most definitely unique. Gaze upon the faces and figures painted in oil on glass for a heavy dose of emotion. Grenon's coarsely rendered lines with bold pops of bright color and pattern against watery backgrounds eschew the high detail of classical portraiture, in- stead relying on an expressive style that draws the viewer into a complex and lasting interaction with the work. ere's an elusiveness to Grenon's cre- ations, thanks in part to his technique of painting on glass plates and then flipping a piece over before mounting it in a found Grand Staircase Art Gallery Holiday Open House Torchy's Den Morris Trophy frame. e resulting work puts a physical barrier between the viewer and the actual paint—giving each piece a glossy distance reminiscent of a stained-glass window. is dynamic of direct confrontation and mysterious distance appears again and again in Grenon's work as the women inside invite you to know their passion, joy, pain, and power—but only from afar. Spend time in the Grand Staircase Gallery between the 1st and 3rd floors to discover the confetti of color, rakishly wild hair, and silent secrets that accompa- ny Grenon's portraits. On display through early 2018, this exhibit is being shown courtesy of Traver Gallery. —Mae Jacobson is Associate Editor of WAC Magazine. First Take C O U R T E S Y T R A V E R G A L L E R Y The silent power of Gregory Grenon