HARRY GRUENERT - statement

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Harry Gruenert came to painting in mid life, carrying to a new form, his Passion for surface and color that appeal to many enthusiasts of modern art.

What are people responding to in his paintings? “Surface and depth” Gruenert says.
The growing acceptance of his large, challenging paintings is recognition of his talent, evidence that discerning art buyers are recognizing his substantial talents. “I am inspired by this growing recognition of my work.”

Gruenert was born in Germany in 1955 and came to the US in 1983. He took up painting while making art panels for the painter Michael Shemchuck, who tutored him on matters of style, technique and color. Painting is somewhat a mystery to him. “There is a lot I can’t explain,” says Gruenert.

Patience and persistence are central to Gruenert’s method.
“If you want to create the appearance of an old surface, which is what I try to do, you have to take your time,” he says. “I cannot do it in one or two sessions. I am aware that I must put down layer after layer. I can see one layer as a decade, if I am thinking of the entire process as analogous to an old stonewall, which was exposed to the elements for many years. Things age, they just don’t age quickly, and as an artist I am trying to recreate the aging process.”

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