He’s a sculptor and artist of many other media; he’s been a mime and was a friend of the late Marcel Marceau; he’s a sometime actor and all around Renaissance man. Now Grigory Guerivich will represent Roanoke’s sister city of Pskov, Russia this weekend at Artview: Visions and Voices, at the Roanoke Civic Center from November 5-7.
Guerivich – who spent time in Pskov but was born in St. Petersburg, Russia – will join a handful of other international and regional artists in creating installation pieces on site.
The public can view them all weekend at the Special Events Center, where Guerivich will also show off his “magic book,” and perhaps a slide show that details his work. Guerivich can has been in galleries and public places (like New York’s Penn Station) all over the world. He studied architecture in his early years.
Guerivich has even acted in television shows like “Law and Order,” portraying a member of the Russian mafia. He and other visiting artists have spent the last few weeks in Roanoke, taking in the sights, conducting workshops at local high schools and colleges.
Grigur is his “stage name. I’ve got many names because I have many faces,” he laughs. He’s representing Pskov this weekend at Artview but has actually been in the states since 1976, and now resides in Jersey City, New Jersey
Working in “whatever media I like to work at this particular moment,” Guerivich said he likes to achieve “the highest potential,” for each technique or material that he employs. That includes life size bronze sculptures in New York City and New Jersey, at venues like the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark. Art related to the Holocaust, “which I did when I was out of work in Russia and very depressed,” can be found in Israel.
Books of art he calls “Reflections” that feature original works can be found at the New York Public Library, in Russia and elsewhere. His magic books feature several pages of shapes that can be configured many different ways – sometimes hundreds – and he showed off one of them at local schools during his visit here.
In the early 1960s the famous French mime Marcel Marceau came to Russia to perform mime. “I was absolutely impressed,” said Guerivich, who then formed his own troupe and befriended Marceau. Guerivich traveled throughout Asia with his company for about three years. “It was a great success.”
His acting credits include commercials and movies as well as TV. “I try many different things and it’s a great pleasure.” Last year Guerivich and his 18-year-old son, also an artist, had joint showings in Canada.
At Artview, Guerivich will use 300 lbs. of clay to create a piece that will “constantly transform from day to day … whatever comes to my mind.” Part of his inspiration may come from the visit to the Roanoke area, where guest artists have spent time in Floyd, at a potter’s house in Craig County and at several welcome parties. At Artview he may even hold a pantomime workshop and hopes to show slides of his work.
Guerivich is interested in hearing what people say when they come through Artview, this weekend. “The purpose of art is to share … to share beauty, to share your ideas and concepts.”
When asked about a possible memoir or retrospective based on what has surely been an interesting life, Guerivich responded, “It’s difficult to look back . . . because I’m looking forward all the time.”
Stop by his booth at Artview this weekend and he just might tell a story or two.
For more on this weekend’s Artview see www.artview2010.com or visit the Roanoke Civic Center box office.
