Greg Rick

Greg Rick’s (b. 1981, South Minneapolis, MN) work delves into the aesthetics of violence, creating mesmerizingly chaotic compositions. While rooted in his own personal experiences, his work transcends the individual, offering both a means of escape and a voice to the underbelly and the grandiose aspects of myth. Rick's canvases straddle a precarious historical line, infused with humility and conviction, and populated by archetypal characters that evoke self-exploration. He invites viewers to contemplate the surreal and monumental essence of history through the lenses of Magical Realism and Afro Futurism, focusing on the 20th and 21st centuries. These artistic traditions reimagine a more equitable world while critiquing both historical and contemporary realities. In his study of the past, Rick realized that history is inherently a mythic construction. He considers his work a form of historical painting, exploring the obscure, forgotten, and deliberately excluded narratives of global histories. For Rick, art is not a magical solution to the world’s problems but a safe space to coexist with them.