GREG PYRA, "Night Scenes," October 7 - 21, 2006, Image 54 Art Gallery and Custom Framing, Calgary

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GREG PYRA, Night Scenes

Image 54 Art Gallery and Custom Framing, Calgary

October 7 - 21, 2006

By Dina O'Meara

There is a sense of anticipation in Greg Pyra’s night scenes, of being poised on the brink of an event brewing in the shadows of the parked cars and empty sidewalks. “For me, reality changes with night,” Pyra says. “The physical forms break down, it becomes disorienting, isolated, a bit lonely.” Attracted to images of cars as representative of souls in transit, Pyra sees service stations as a modern metaphor for a point in those souls’ journeys. “My challenge is in finding a way to express a spiritual presence,” he says. In his search, Pyra often spoke about the dilemma with abstract painter Guido Molinari, and minimalist Agnes Martin. Their influences can be seen in Pyra’s abstract watercolours. Pyra completed a Master’s in education almost 20 years after earning his Master’s in fine art, teaching in BC and Ontario and living in Europe. He now lives and teaches in Hanna, Alberta.

Represented by: Image 54 Art Gallery and Custom Framing, Calgary.