Art and space together in perfect harmony
Norbert M. Gregor has succeeded in integrating art and space into his works in highly
impressive ways. Color and shape bring the space to life, which in turn stimulates the
rhythmn of delicate color and shape. This can be clearly seen in his sculptures, which bear
witness to a deep understanding for natural and corporeal waves.
The natural momentum of the circle determines the inner and outer harmony in shape
and composition.
The astonishing thing is how airy and light the wood carvings appear, as if moving and
dancing, without losing any of their intrinsic materialistic character.
The vastness, flooded with light - these were his thoughts - would bring to sound the
vibrations and intrinsic melodies of his sculptures and pictures. His sculptures, as well
as his paintings and graphics bring the decorative style of Art Nouveau to mind.
The faces of women have always been a recurring motif for Norbert M. Gregor, something
which he often and gladly grapples with.
One can also recognise a characteristical connection between tenderness and precision
in his picturesque works. For him art was unthinkable without a formal layout, yet
nevertheless the results of his artistic process seem weightless and light.
Due to the desire to achieve an element of lightness Norbert M. Gregor had originally
applied himself more to expressionism. In his often concave-shaped sculptures, mostly
existing of lime wood, he succeeded in overcoming the force of gravity, a goal he had
always wished to achieve. The 'move' is an impressive piece of evidence of this.
Norbert M. Gregor loved beauty, without which for him life was empty and without content.
Out of this quest for beauty he developed his shapes always with their origin in the
geometry of the circle. The beauty of the presentation is at the same time never superficial
or forced.
Rather it testifies to a deep and religious feel for an all-embracing unity, that connects calm
and movement, past and present, living and dead matter; integrated in the symbol of the
circle, articulating itself in an expression of eternal hope.
'My pictures should illuminate like church windows', pointed out the artist, explaining the
immediately apparent lustrous transparency of his pictures, which are mostly painted on
wood. In order to achieve this luminance, several layers of color are painted on top of one
another in a precise method.
Similarly, for his sculptures, Norbert M. Gregor limited himself to just a few colors which he
however applied mastefully in countless tones and variations. Regarding the content, he
doesn't depict any particular storyline in his paintings but rather lets his eyes linger upon the
painting, in this way retaining it for the whole world to see.
Synthesis between east and west
Creating alliances and bringing together opposites into a synthetic form was the basic
motivation of his skill. Harmony, reflection, nature and people connect to each other in his
sculptures, paintings and graphics in aesthetic ways.
Norbert M. Gregor succeeded in The masterful integration of shapes from other cultural
circles not only in his figures, bus also - and especially - in his pictures. Everything that has
grown and is determined by self-image found a way into his work.
The roots of his artistic creations are based on Western traditions. From these Norbert M.
Gregor drew strength to integrate numerous eastern elements. It is this synthesis that gives
his pictures and sculptures their specific appeal really makes them seem to be carried by an
internal melody. Gregor also preferred using wood as a medium for his paintings.
A long working process was needed in order to achieve this specific gleaming transparency.
The result, however, is worth it, at least for those who have eyes to see. Everyday natural
appearances such as water and light, light and shadow become a veritable symphony of
color under his artistic skills. Pure water, functioning purely, as if it were in a way creating
the mood, flows over the rest of the world. Brilliant landscapes are reflected in many
sections on the glistening surface of the water.
The world can be fulfilled from a rising moon or the stark clarity of a bitter winter.
A touch of the untouchable covers everything - a pearl effect can achieve this or even an
arabesque effect - this method of painting is not so distant from Asian art.
Without doubt he was an artist who had a magnificent understanding of how to seamlessly
unite eastern and western culture, fusing together expressionism with impressionism.
Therefore, it's difficult to define Norbert M. Gregor as belonging to a certain type of art form.
Rather, he was a person who succeeded in taking timeless things from different creative
periods and developed them in his own unique style. A style that was far removed from the
current and fashionable trends of that time.
His slogan was:
"I'm of this era, but go against it!"
Gregor has manged to lift up the weight of matter, so that his sculptures take on organic
forms and seem to float through the room. Intoxicated by his own creations, he succeeded
in generating synthesis from the East and the West, into which he built masterful harmonies
between Heavy monumental mass and the melodic decorative contour.
Among experts, his sculpture work is often gladly compared with the works of Henry Moore
and Ernst Balach.