The conceptual photographic realism of Nebraska painter Neil Griess will be presented in the new exhibition Roam at the Nebraska Arts Council’s Fred Simon Gallery from Nov. 1, 2021-Jan. 7, 2022. Taking a long look at the prairie landscape through the lens of history and topography, Griess charges his images of the state’s wide rolling spaces with traces of the physical and cultural changes that mark the passage of time, the evolving social context of land use and the impacts of technology on it. His layered renderings, often at the rural-urban interface, expose the artist’s personal take on the real, virtual and imaginary American landscape[JF1] .
With their composite imagery inspired by the long study of place, Griess’ paintings are a visual heir to William Least Heat-Moon’s epic tome PrairyErth: A Deep Map. A study of a single county in Kansas’ Flint Hills, it combines geologic time, history and anthropology with contemporary land usage debates, travel narrative and memoir. Griess derives new meaning from his Nebraska environment by constructing a detailed but collaged and subtly manipulated view of the landscape with the goal of evoking the often unsettled relationship between time and place.
Roam: Works by Neil Griess opens at the Fred Simon Gallery on Nov. 1 and runs through Jan. 7, 2022. The gallery is located at the Nebraska Arts Council HQ on the plaza level of the Burlington Building, 1004 Farnam Street. Due to the intimate size of the gallery, it will be open by appointment only with a maximum of ten visitors at a time To schedule a visit, go to https://booking.setmore.com/scheduleappointment/5dbdfdac-33e3-43e2-9368-77e97627e3e3/bookappointment During the run of the exhibition, there will be a Facebook Live video artist talk with Griess that will also be available afterwards on the NAC website. Visit the video section of the NAC Facebook page for postings.
[JF1]https://www.artscouncil.nebraska.gov/opportunities/for-artists/fred-simon-gallery-exhibition.html
Exhibition title from NAC email:
Neil Griess
Fred Simon Gallery Exhibition 2021
Exhibition Title
Roam: Works by Neil Griess