Michael Gregory is a painter who mainly focuses on realist renditions of different subjects, such as landscapes. In many of his compositions, he demonstrates an (almost) obsession with silos and old barns. Additionally, in each of his pieces, he demonstrates a keen mastery of the use of color in order to achieve the affect of what seems to be a surreal reality. For instance, the first piece that drew me in was Emmigrant Flat, a painting of an old, battered barn that lies in the middle-ground between a mist-laden mountain and what appears to be grass that has just experienced the morning dew or frost. This piece draws the viewer in, who immediately becomes entranced by the mood the piece evokes; it seems that the barn, which is most likely abandoned, hints to a time long gone and the mist creates an air of mystery to the scene.

Michael Gregory, “Emmigrant Flat” (2013)

Another noteworthy piece is Gregory’s Barger, which is a hyper-realistic rendition of a close-up of a barn. The absence of color, alone, adds to the overall serene yet troubling mood of the piece; the scene is seemingly peaceful yet the white contrasts so much with the dark that the viewer is forced to focus on the barn. Additionally, the barn appears somewhat ominous, with its small dark openings alluding to a mysterious world inside of it. The sky also seems to demonstrate that the scene occurs near the time of night before the moon completely emerges, which adds to the veil of mystery that already exists in relation to the illumination of a barn that appears empty but that could be filled with a myriad of items and/ or beings. Regardless, it seems as though Gregory simply framed a black and white photo of a barn.

Michael Gregory, “Barger” (2014)

Overall, I found Michael Gregory’s paintings of these peculiar subjects very intriguing. In an effort to expand my application of oil paint in the various rendition of different subjects, I can observe Gregory’s pieces to understand, for example, how the use (and absence) of color can affect the mood of a composition. I especially admire the realism and a touch of surrealism that Gregory manages to achieve through his careful use of color that brightens his work and makes his pieces eerily peaceful.