Out of Darkness
Artist Gregory Block Finds Inspiration While Facing a Battle Against His Recent Loss of Full Vision
by Suzi Mitchell
This article originally appeared in the Summer 2024 issue of Art with Altitude.
The pirate patch covering artist Gregory Block’s right eye is not part of an outlandish costume being worn by a man whose reputation for quirky often precedes him. It’s a tell-tale sign of an eight month-long battle with Acanthamoeba, a parasite-based infection that affects fewer than 100 people in the United States every year. The condition can be devastating to any sufferer, but to a fine artist who relies on his vision to make a living, it’s shattering.
In August 2023, he attended a concert in Denver and throughout the evening, the contact lens in his right eye kept bothering him. A week later he spent time with a nephew who had pink eye, and he put his increasing eye irritation down to cross contamination. Subsequent visits to the doctor and several doses of antibiotics later, things were not improving. Greg’s vision was deteriorating.
A corneal specialist broke the news he had a parasite living at the back of his eye and a lengthy treatment of “pool cleanser” drops began on an intense hourly schedule. “Luckily I have never been a good sleeper, so waking up every hour of every night for months on end to take drops and self-medicate with Reddi-wip whipped cream wasn’t too terrible,” he shares in typical humorous style. The drops failed to work, and he was put on the list for a corneal transplant. In March 2024, he underwent the surgery, which proved successful in replacing the damaged cornea but dislodged his iris and obscured the pupil. He now faces an eight- to 12-month waiting period for the cornea to heal before further surgery to restore his vision.
Throughout the process, Greg continues to adapt his creative methods, due to a deep-rooted need for him to stay positive and make a living. “My depth perception is greatly affected, so even pouring a cup of coffee is a challenge,” he says. “My extreme light sensitivity in my good eye means I have to live and work mostly in darkness.”
Over decades, the South Routt native has earned national recognition for his intricate detailing in realist representational paintings of everyday objects, characters, and creatures.
“Greg is one of the best artists I know,” says Kathi Fresques, a Steamboat Springs-based artist and friend who has shown her work alongside Greg’s at multiple local galleries. “I guess I would describe him as a savant, a renaissance artist of our lifetime, and for me personally, he’s a sincere friend and art mentor.”
Inside his Denver-based studio, Greg is on an exploratory journey to combat the challenges of distorted colors, edges and details, vital aspects of painting realism. “I’m taking this time of darkness as an invitation to change things up a bit,” he says.
Light is not his friend, so he sporadically screws and unscrews light bulbs and is currently working on the floor to create large abstract pieces. Some recent works depict aspen trees that he created by flattening, cutting and arranging recycled soda cans and securing them to board with upholstery tacks.
“The variety of media Greg excels in is nothing short of amazing,” says Gallery Director Jennifer Lynn at the Jace Romick/R-Diamond Gallery. “His work stands out and no matter where it is situated in the gallery, people gravitate toward it.”
Driven by his quest for further exploration, Greg has turned his attention to richly hued abstracts. “I feel like I go to bed at night on the cusp of something new, which is exciting,” he shares. If anything, he misses the predictability of working in realism. “Painting is like raising a child,” he says. “I was used to being the proud parent of an honor roll student with everything orderly and predictable, and now, suddenly, I’m parenting a delinquent who won’t listen to a thing I say. Sure, in some ways I miss this order, but this process of constantly trying to keep tabs on my hellion of a kid has led, and will continue to lead, down all sorts of paths I would never have noticed before. It’s excruciating, but I’m more inspired than ever.”
Elevate the Arts: Visit Jace Romick/R-Diamond Gallery to see or purchase Greg’s work. Look for both his classic style—intricate realist paintings—and his newer abstract, mixed media works. While we’re glad to hear his eyes are on the mend, we can’t wait to see where his newfound chaotic inspiration leads him. AwA
