A year has passed since we said goodbye to Gerrit Greve — a visionary artist, father, step-father, friend, and force of nature. His absence has been deeply felt by all of us who loved him and by those whose lives were touched by his work. As we mark this anniversary, we’ve been reflecting on what it means to continue forward in his spirit, and how his art still speaks, still connects, and still carries him forward.
Over the past twelve months, we’ve dedicated ourselves to cataloging and preserving Gerrit’s vast archive. In the process, we’ve not only taken stock of the physical collection but also re-immersed ourselves in the ideas and themes that shaped his creative life. Among the most enduring of these were spirituality and the afterlife — questions of what happens to the spirit, how it transcends the material, and how we might catch glimpses of the divine through art.
Full Figure Self, 1985, A/C, 48”x40”
While Gerrit’s early career included self-portraits — intimate explorations of identity and self — in the latter half of his fifty-year journey, he turned his attention outward and upward. His Spirit Boats series was inspired by global traditions that tell of the soul’s journey to the afterlife — be it heaven, nirvana, or the underworld. These works evoke both passage and transformation, rooted in cultural myth yet uniquely his own.
1, 2023, A/C
In his Dreaming series, Gerrit painted the veiled boundary between this world and the next — moments when the veil lifts just enough for us to sense the presence of something greater. These works, along with his overtly religious pieces drawing from Christianity, Judaism, and Buddhism, speak to his belief in a shared divinity and a sacred mystery that transcends individual faith.
Journey 328, the Hem of Heaven, Day 2, 2010, A/C, 48”x72”
As we share a selection of his early self-portraits today, we do so with the awareness that Gerrit’s art was never just about seeing — it was about revealing. Through these works, we see not only how he viewed himself, but how he sought to understand the soul, the spirit, and the sacred in all things.
Top left: Self Portrait, A/C, 36"x36"; Top right: Early Self Portrait, A/C, 36"x30"; Lower left: My Fable Self with a Cat at Night, 1975, Enamel on Masonite, 24"x21", Lower right: Me (Self-portrait), A/C, 36"x36"
We like to think that for him, the veil has been lifted and he’s found the peace and knowledge that he was always searching for through his art.
Thank you for being with us over this past year — for your stories, your support, and your love for Gerrit. His legacy lives on, and we are honored to continue sharing his journey with you.
With love,
Katie, Jacqueline, and Jake
PS We will be at the archive storage facility in Solana Beach, California on March 26th and 27th. Please reach out if you’d like to meet us there.
Self #1, 1984, A/C, 40”x30”