Words

Greetings! They asked me to say a few words…

Here’s how it started: I always liked art in general and I always liked to tinker and build things. One day years ago while driving to work my attention was caught by a large log that had been chopped off and then propped up against the trunk of a huge tree. There appeared to be light shining through the log. Curious, I drove back around and stopped to check it out. It turned out to be a hole where two limbs had parted then grown back together. A couple of days later it was still there, so I recruited a couple of guys working on the loading dock of a nearby store and we lifted the log into the back of my truck. At the time I didn’t know what I was going to do with it or what it was going to be. I just had a feeling. I started working on it, and a light came on. From that experience, I knew I wanted to create more pieces. I haven’t stopped since. (You can see that same first piece in one of the galleries; it’s the one everyone likes to touch.)

My sculptures are designed to entertain and provoke thought. Much of my work is sensual and tactile, not only to the sense of sight. It’s also designed to be touched and explored to be fully appreciated.   That behavior is frowned upon at most galleries and museums, but it’s an intrinsic pleasure that I get from the process of creating it so I feel viewers should be entitled to that experience as well. It’s an aspect of sculpture that separates it from other art forms and should be taken advantage of.

I still often work with large pieces of wood…there’s something about the grains and textures I love. But, I’ve also expanded extensively into other materials, including cast stone, foam, fiberglass, acrylic pigments with epoxy and polyester resins, and metals (although I leave the actual lost wax casting of bronze to the pros at the foundry). Each sculpture requires different materials, depending on cost, aesthetics, size, difficulty, destined environment and personal preference. I really like the thrill of the experiment…to see what designs, techniques and materials work well together. It’s a never ending educational and mind expanding process.

The future? Keep creating, become rich and famous - so I can be invited to high society cocktail parties where I can pontificate to a circle of attractive socialites on the nature of art and its profound impact on humanity – write a book about the experience, enjoy movie royalties, get elected to public office on the pro-marijuana platform, go on Letterman, admit to an illicit affair, get removed from office, go back to my garage workshop and keep building sculptures. Or something similar to that.

Thanks for visiting my web site! Your thoughts and comments are appreciated.

Jon Grau

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PS…Thanks to all my friends for their support over the years, particularly Keith Douglas for great photography, Glen Mayo for talented welding and a gifted artistic eye, Joey B for motivation and muscles when we have to move this heavy stuff!