NANCY WISTI GRAYSON

Statement

My studio is a platform to create narrative histories about landscape, memory, discovery and acquisition. The sculptural paintings reference remembered or imagined fragments of architectural pieces and natural objects, creating a fabricated archaeology. Grout and recycled styrofoam are used as a base to create the layered and manipulated painted surfaces. The relatively small pieces invoke a sense of treasure, souvenir or memento. I am drawn to interwoven history and the sense of discovery and possibilities. The pieces also have a sense of play, reframing beliefs through questioning of assumptions about what’s real and what’s an image of reality. I am interested in how an artifact shows us not only what is, but also the possibility of what might have been.

Biography

I am a Chicago based artist, originally from Detroit. I received my BFA and MA in painting from Wayne State University in Detroit. While there, I also studied in San Domenico, Italy. In 2008 I was an Artist in Residence at the Palazzo Rinaldi, Noepoli, (Basilicata), Italy. My work has been shown in the US and Europe including: Parenthesis Pop-Up Gallery in Chicago, IL, Nave Annex Gallery in Somervile, MA, AIR Gallery in Brooklyn, NY, Willis Gallery in Detroit, MI (solo show) and Cary Gallery in Rochester, MI.