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Truly his creations,
which are
impressionistic and
figurative, illogical,
illusionary and
whimsical, are meant to
be suggestive rather
than descriptive. He
wants us to draw our own
conclusions.
Grimes is also an
accomplished sculptor.
Rendering his
dream-scapes in three
dimensions, the
construction is nearly
as impressive as the
finished piece.
Elaborate figures twist
and turn over amorphous
structures. They could
be ships, scaffolds,
balconies or palaces.
The figures could be
human, animal or pure
form. His sculptures are
every bit as surreal as
his paintings and
painstakingly created.
He begins with an
abstract sketch, which
becomes an elaborate
drawing. From that he
develops the dimensions
and proportions that he
would like to adhere to.
Then the sculpting
begins. He uses several
methods of creation,
though at present wood
is his favorite medium.
“I’ve become addicted to
it – I am truly inspired
by the desire to
discover what the medium
will give me, it’s just
so limitless, sometimes
the greatest difficulty
is that there are too
many choices,” Grimes
says.
At the time of our
interview he was working
on about 15 pieces, a
heavy workload for any
artist.
“Sometimes I need to
take a break from one
and work on another;
coming back gives me the
fresh perspective I
need.”
He carves shapes out of
large planks of bass
wood, often slicing into
a figure, twisting it
around to fit his
desired result,
then gluing it back
together.
“Every attempt is a
decision, a hypothesis –
I never know what the
outcome will be, but if
it isn’t right, I just
cut the part off and
keep moving-every piece
sets me off in a
different direction so I
have to keep things
going.”
He will go through many
involved stages –
relief, carving and
painting – before a
piece is complete,
usually a month or more
of work.
“When I finish it better
have an exuberance, it
has to really affect me
before I can quit, it
has to look vital.”
Though Grimes has been
an artist for his entire
life, it only recently
became his profession.
He’s been an auto
mechanic,
teacher and jeweler –
experiences that have
contributed greatly to
his incredible work
ethic and meticulous
attention to detail.
Even now, with so much
recognition, one gets
the feeling that Grimes
doesn’t see his artistic
life as a “job”. He,
like his work, exudes an
exuberance and
enthusiasm only found in
those who have meshed
“work”, and “life” with
“purpose”.
He seems humbly in awe
of his success, because,
for him, art has always
been such an integral
part of his being.
“I am in a realm where I
use art as an adventure,
and I never know where
it will take me.”
Robert Grimes now has
shows regularly around
the region, with a big
opening coming up in
August at The Art Spirit
Gallery’s Second Friday
Art Walk. (August 11 –
September 2, 2006) The
Art Spirit Gallery,
208-765-6006, 415
Sherman Avenue,
Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814 |
trying to do in words. It seems
to transcend language, or,
rather, speak its own. Like a
bird’s song, it’s
a language we can only half
understand.
