GREGG LOUIS NO EMPTY SKY

Nohra Haime Gallery is pleased to present No Empty Sky, a solo exhibition by Saint Louis-based artist Gregg Louis. The exhibition showcases a new series of constellation paintings.

In this body of work the artist explores and connects the physicality of his painting process with the mysticism of the cosmos. The work pulls inspiration from contrasting sources such as images of the solar system sent back by NASA’s James Webb telescope, the grit of a dirty studio drop cloth, and the lyrical qualities of color field painters such as Rothko, Frankenthaler, and Gilliam.

Twisting these influences together, Louis constructs atmospheric paintings playing with both the macro and micro nature of the world around us.  His process takes place on the studio floor, applying a watery mix of inks and paints onto raw canvas. The resulting paintings are a collection of drips, stains, scratches, and spills that up close celebrate elements of chance in Louis’ artistic process, but when observed from a distance create an illusion of stars in the night sky.  

“To see a World in a Grain of Sand

And a Heaven in a Wild Flower

Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand

And Eternity in an hour

In the first four lines of his poem, Auguries of Innocence, William Blake encourages us to look for a greater cosmic truth by zooming in on the world we experience everyday. A vision where the unknowable echoes the underappreciated and tells us a bigger story about interconnectedness.  This is something I’m endlessly interested in and these constellation paintings are a continuation of that exploration.”

- Gregg Louis

Louis received a Master’s of Fine Arts degree from the School of Visual Arts in New York City in 2009.  His work has been featured in exhibitions around the world, including Nohra Haime Gallery in New York; NH Galería in Cartagena; Hverfisgalleri in Reykjavik; The World Chess Hall of Fame in Saint Louis; Postmasters Gallery in New York; Galerist in Istanbul;  Frieze London; Vienna Contemporary; and Art Bogotá.  In 2009, Louis was an artist-in-residence at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture.  The New York Times, The Wall St Journal, and Sculpture Magazine have all covered his work.  Louis currently lives and works in Saint Louis, and is represented by Nohra Haime Gallery in New York City.