Above & Below - Art Studio in Downtown Vancouver, Washington
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  • ​Above & Below - Art Studio
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  • Exhibitions Current / Past
  • Contact Us

Jeff Grimes


Jeff Grimes

Born 1960, Portland OR
Lives and works in Vancouver WA

Grimes influences come from diverse cultural heritage having lived in Salzburg, Austria and Florence, Italy in his formative years. Educated in fine arts including drawing, painting and 3D media, he worked for over 30 years in wood, as a professional master journeyman carpenter and developer. Grimes is no foreigner to education, returning in 2011 to study welding in its various nuisances, he has found his true heart language in sculpture.

Now with his studio in the industrial area of south downtown Vancouver, Washington, Grimes is a contemporary abstract sculptor working in mixed media sculpture: medium format steel, stainless steel & aluminum metallic alloys, and exotic hardwoods. 

Grimes integrates unique forms from industrial technologies of the past, present day, and future, and combines them with his mixed race heritage’s native styles to create complex pieces focusing on his intense use of textures and understanding of “negative” space.

“I have thousands of visions in my head that I want to bring forth into reality.  And, the beauty of each individual raw material’s natural texture inspires me. I feel it tells a story in and of itself, that you cannot convey in any other way.  My use of colored stains, acids, & patinas serve to enhance my vision, and not cover it… beauty is also what’s underneath.   Additionally, I am compelled to use ‘negative’ space as an enhancing element in my visions and sculptures that forces the viewer’s mind to imagine countless scenarios.

Although I title each one of my pieces, I truly want the viewer to see my creations through their own mind’s eye irrespective of the names given…  See the shapes tell a story… Feel the textures amaze the senses… and Envision the ‘borders of no space’ as they force you to see what’s in your own mind, all the while seeing no space in front of you.”

Education/Coursework

University of Oregon, Eugene, OR - Mixed Media Arts 1982
CSU Northridge, Northridge, CA - Drawing & Ceramics 1984-85  
Clark College, Vancouver, WA - CP in Welded Metal Arts
Clark College, Vancouver, WA - AAT in Welding Technology

Member
American Welding Society (AWS)
Pacific Northwest Sculptors Organization (PNS)
International Sculpture Center (ISC)
Boilermakers & Ironworkers Union 403, Vancouver, WA. 
Certified Welder - FCAW Dual Shield - 1/8" to Unlimited Thickness
Certified Welder - FCAW Self Shield  - 1/8" to Unlimited Thickness

Past Member
Local 1506 Southern California Carpenters Local Union, Los Angeles, CA.
Local 701 Oregon and Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters.



Location

What Folks Are Saying:

"Owner of Above & Below Art Studio, Leslie Relth, and artist Tom Relth, have worked diligently to support downtown Vancouver’s Arts District and emerging artists in our community. Above & Below has successfully executed 60 months worth of exhibitions in our downtown community."
​- Michael W.

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Above & Below - Art Studio in Downtown Vancouver, Washington