NIEU-BETHESDA NEWS — On Saturday, 15 December, an exhibition entitled, "Heart of Mine" by artist Gregg Price will open at his newly built home and gallery on the corner of Grave and Martin Streets, Nieu-Bethesda at 17:00.
Gregg Price has the following to say about his life and work:
"This exhibition is the culmination of so many streams of my life journey. It is both an arrival, and a departure. To have the opportunity to exhibit in my own gallery has been a long held desire of mine. It is a freedom that will allow my work to speak in unison, and come to live unfettered in a simple space. This gallery is an intimate sanctuary for my expression as an artist.
The stream to Nieu-Bethesda has been a slow alchemy of my being. People are drawn here for many reasons. Initially, it was the curiosity of the Owl House and Athol Fugard. Through the years, a sort of annual pilgrimage began, with my family and I stop by on our annual pilgrimage to the coast. The high desert landscape of the Karoo ignited an engagement with nature I had experience years earlier while living in Sante Fe, New Mexico. The earthy adobe, clear light and contrasting blue sky had a mystical quality that fed into my art. In 2013 a piece of land with a 'For Sale' sign caught my attention. On an impulse, I made an offer, and my new story was set in motion.
On the 10th of January this year, my eldest son took his own life. The heart of my family was ripped apart. In hindsight, I realise I moved forward in a state of shock. I was at work coaching swimming the following day…and the next. My family and I negotiated the formalities and dealt with this cruel blow from fate by keeping going. That is what we do. But on the inside, we are shattered, disillusioned and struggling.
My first attempt at returning to art after William's death, resulted in a somewhat frenetic semi-abstract drawing. I did another soon after, and then realized I needed in some way to confront the actual moment, the hotel room, the spiritual reality of what happened. I did this drawing, and then another and in this way found some clarity, some healing, some way to feel my son. This exhibition, this gallery, this venture in Nieu-Bethesda is a symbol of my choice to lean into the future with hope. The exhibition includes a selection of digital drawings, handcrafted wood sculpture and laser cut steel sculpture. Etching is a new process I have explored this past year. Working with master printer Colin Cole, I have relished the opportunity of slowly bringing my images to life."
Nieu-Bethesda is home to a handful of artists who live and work in conditions conducive to productivity and inspiration. The village is delighted to welcome Gregg Price into their fold of creatives.
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