Meet Gregory Siff, The Artist Behind Saint Laurent's New Collaboration
VMAN speaks to the artist about being chosen as Anthony Vaccarello's first collaboration as creative director of Saint Laurent, the concept behind his designs, and more.
VMAN speaks to the artist about being chosen as Anthony Vaccarello's first collaboration as creative director of Saint Laurent, the concept behind his designs, and more.
How did the collab with Saint Laurent come about?
I do what I love every day, and by painting, I found myself in Miami at Art Basel sitting next to the Saint Laurent team.
This was Anthony’s first collab since joining the Saint Laurent team. How does it feel to be chosen?
It was an honor to know that my work connected aesthetically with another artist I respect.
I know you’ve worked with Vans and Helmut Lang before, was fashion something you’d always wanted to get into?
I knew fashion and art were heavily connected when I spilled some paint on my Adidas Stan Smith’s and someone offered to buy them off my feet. Real paint and where it hits is attractive.
Why Saint Laurent?
Well, like the Mercedes-Benz motto, “the best or nothing.”
Can you tell me a bit about your designs and the concept behind them?
The work that exists in the pieces are the duality of the Masculine and Feminine. There is beauty and strength in both realms and they feed your energy as you wear them.
What has been your favorite project, piece, or exhibition you’ve ever done?
In 2012 I painted 100 canvases with faces and moods that hung in Siren Studios on Sunset Blvd. The show, entitled "There & Back", had so many people in attendance and it was if they stared back at themselves in the paintings. There was a magic and glow in their faces. It was that night that I saw firsthand the real power of art and what it means to really affect someone through this medium.
Can you describe your aesthetic?
Everything that is on the canvas is lived in real life including dreams.
You collab with many companies and museums, what is the process behind these projects? Do you approach the companies or do they approach you?
All the strong collaborations and successful ones come when they seek you out. For example, when I painted two murals in the Rockaway Beach Surf Club post Hurricane Sandy, MoMA PS1 did an exhibit in the space and they felt my work. Klaus Biesenbach, director and chief curator at large of The Museum of Modern Art in NYC included them in the show “Rockaway!” When you are constantly painting and going deeper these moments just find you.
Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on now?
Right this second I’m in Destin Florida painting columns for a Private Collection and loving where the journey brings me. The more I paint the more beautiful things happen.
What’s coming up next for you?
Dream Hotel Hollywood. It's a total art experience happening in different environments on the property. Whether it is a grand canvas of mine that hangs in the Avenue Nightclub or the studio/gallery that is constantly flowing with creation and engagement with the audience ... I am excited to put the hours in and build something real.
