GREGORY PRESTEGORD
Hustle and Bustle
Philadelphia-based artist Gregory Prestegord captures the raw energy of the urban cityscape, translating not a literal image of a city street onto the canvas, but rather, a reflection of it, with elements from his own imagination molding and shaping the piece. His abstract impressionist pieces, grounded in a sense of realism, are expressions of how the artist was feeling during that particular moment, whether taking a photograph as a reference for his painting, or simply committing the scene to memory.
“You’re seeing the motion of the city. You’re seeing the energy of the piece,” says Prestegord, explaining that he utilizes multiple layers of paint to achieve deeper emotion. “They’re not just cityscapes— I want to create a feeling inside of the painting, which is why I use layers...When you see these paintings in photos, it really doesn’t do them justice.” He explains that viewers are able to take in the full experience of his works when they can observe for themselves the thick layers of paint and
how they enhance each other.
Prestegord’s latest body of work, which depicts the urban landscape of New York City, is paired alongside abstract expressionist Danny Simmons—brother of Joseph Simmons of Run-DMC and noted record executive Russell Simmons—in an exhibition titled Alone Together. “It’s just a neat kind of show,” says Prestegord. “[Simmons is] a really good abstract painter, so I wanted to use elements of what he’s doing in his work...I think we’re really similar in that he’s doing abstraction and I’m doing more reality, but we’re both from urban backgrounds...So I wanted to mix with that.”
Taxicabs rush across the composition in a flurry of yellow, capturing a moment in the daily haste of a New York street corner in Moving Streets. The image of what’s happening within the piece is clear in the mind, and yet, the shapes are blurred and blended—far from a photorealistic rendition. Prestegord says he draws upon elements of abstraction as well as graffiti style artwork, having grown up around a lot of graffiti artists. While Prestegord’s body of work in this show focuses on New York cityscapes, the artist says he paints in all manner of subject matter. “I’ve studied all elements of art,” he explains. “Sometimes I’ll paint a jazz player, sometimes I’ll paint an orchestra with abstract qualities in it. Anything that catches my eye, I’ll ask, how can I incorporate that into my style of art? I’ve always been into the urban kind of theme.”
Alone Together will be on view at George Billis Gallery in New York from August 27 to September 28 with a reception on Thursday, September 12, from 6 to 8 p.m.