Gregory "Greg" Siff (born December 21, 1977) is an American visual artist, designer, writer and actor who lives and works in Los Angeles.

Art career

Siff was born in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, New York. He creates images that blend Pop Art and Abstract-expressionism. His distinct handmade style merges elements of abstraction, street, and fine art while his work embodies emotionalism normally absent in urban art. Siff's first exhibition, "the heartfirebreathemanifesto" was hosted at the Standard Hotel in Hollywood on February 13, 2006 with all proceeds from this exhibit donated to J.U.i.C.E. (Justice By Uniting in Creative Energy). Since 2006 Siff has exhibited all over the world including Los Angeles, New York, London, Italy, Dublin, and

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

. Siff has done commissions and installations for

Deitch Projects Jeffrey Deitch (pronounced ''DIE-tch'';Mike Boehm (January 12, 2010)L.A.'s MOCA picks art dealer Jeffrey Deitch as director''Los Angeles Times''. born 1952) is an American art dealer and curator. He is best known for his gallery Deitch Projects ...

, The Standard Hotel,

Mercedes Benz Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquartere ...

Tumblr Tumblr (stylized as tumblr; pronounced "tumbler") is an American microblogging and social networking website founded by David Karp in 2007 and currently owned by Automattic. The service allows users to post multimedia and other content to a sho ...

, Christie's,

Sotheby's Sotheby's () is a British-founded American multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, an ...

Vans Vans is an American manufacturer of skateboarding shoes and related apparel, established in Anaheim, California, and owned by VF Corporation. The company also sponsors surf, snowboarding, BMX, and motocross teams. From 1996 to 2019, the comp ...

, Red Bull, The Art of Elysium, Siren Studios, Wexlers Deli, and

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...

among others. In addition, Siff has collaborated with artists

RISK In simple terms, risk is the possibility of something bad happening. Risk involves uncertainty about the effects/implications of an activity with respect to something that humans value (such as health, well-being, wealth, property or the environm ...

, James Georgopoulos, 2wenty and Beau Dunn. His work has been seen in publications such as ''

Interview An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.Merriam Webster DictionaryInterview Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016 In common parlance, the word "interview" ...

'', '' Treats Magazine'',

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

, LA Times,

Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...

, and LA Weekly. In Spring 2013, Siff was selected by

Custom Culture to be one of their "Art Ambassadors", inspiring students across the United States to embrace their creativity. His hand-painted custom

sneakers were on view at

The Whitney Museum of American Art The Whitney Museum of American Art, known informally as "The Whitney", is an art museum in the Meatpacking District and West Village neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1930 by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (1875–1942), ...

in New York City. Siff's work can be seen at ACE Museum in Los Angeles where he painted a mural for a charity art auction held by renowned auction house, Christie's and non-profit, The Art of Elysium. In October 2013 Siff collaborated with Helmut Lang and

Project Angel Food Project Angel Food is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Los Angeles County which provides free meals for people too sick to shop and cook for themselves. Project Angel Food serves the majority of Los Angeles County with South Los Angeles and M ...

, a Los Angeles-based charity whose mission is to help those affected by

HIV/AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...

, Cancer,

Diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...

, and other life-threatening diseases. In this collaboration he hand painted 21 limited edition, one of a kind Helmut Lang tees. "The line work, characters, and poetry aimed to nourish the body and spirit, just as

does with their mission," said Siff. The private event was held on October 17 at Helmut Lang's flagship store on

Melrose Avenue Melrose Avenue is a shopping, dining and entertainment destination in Los Angeles that starts at Santa Monica Boulevard, at the border between Beverly Hills and West Hollywood. It ends at Lucile Avenue in Silver Lake. Melrose runs north of Bev ...

West Hollywood West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. It is considered one of the most prominent gay villages ...

, CA. All 21 tees were sold out and 100% of the proceeds from the sale of these original works benefited

. In April 2014, the

Santa Monica Museum of Art The Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (ICA LA), formerly known as the Santa Monica Museum of Art (SMMoA), is a contemporary art museum in Los Angeles, CA. As an independent and non-collecting art museum (or kunsthalle), it exhibits the ...

showcased a recreation of Siff's downtown Los Angeles art studio where he painted 50 portraits of the homeless youth he encountered while spending a day at the Safe Place For Youth for the Face 2 Face Fundraising Gala. Also in April 2014, Siff exhibited in the

's Precognito/Incognito 10 alongside work from

Ed Ruscha Edward Joseph Ruscha IV (, ''roo-SHAY''; born December 16, 1937) is an American artist associated with the pop art movement. He has worked in the media of painting, printmaking, drawing, photography and film. He is also noted for creating severa ...

John Baldessari John Anthony Baldessari (June 17, 1931 – January 2, 2020) was an American conceptual artist known for his work featuring found photography and appropriated images. He lived and worked in Santa Monica and Venice, California. Initially a painter ...

, Sage Vaughn and Oscar Murillo. In June 2014, Siff's work was included in

The Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of th ...

PS1 exhibition Rockaway! to celebrate the ongoing post-Superstorm Sandy Recovery. Curated by

MoMA PS1 MoMA PS1 is a contemporary art institution located in Court Square in the Long Island City neighborhood in the borough of Queens, New York City. In addition to its exhibitions, the institution organizes the Sunday Sessions performance series, the ...

's director

Klaus Biesenbach Klaus Biesenbach (born 1966)Erica Orden (December 26, 2009)Herr Zeitgeist''New York Magazine''. is a European American curator and the museum director. He is the Director of the Neue Nationalgalerie, with Berggruen Museum and Scharf-Gerstenberg Co ...

, in close collaboration with

Patti Smith Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album ''Horses''. Called the "punk poet ...

, Rockaway Beach Surf Club, the Honolulu Biennal, and the Rockaway Artist Alliance, this group show included the "Experience Rooms," Siff painted in the Rockaway Beach Surf Club bathrooms. Other artists in the exhibition included, Marina Abramovic,

Janet Cardiff Janet Cardiff (born March 15, 1957) is a Canadian artist who works chiefly with sound and sound installations, often in collaboration with her husband and partner George Bures Miller. Cardiff first gained international recognition in the art worl ...

, Brandon D'Leo,

James Franco James Edward Franco (born April 19, 1978) is an American actor and filmmaker. For his role in '' 127 Hours'' (2010), he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. Franco is known for his roles in films, such as Sam Raimi's ''Spider-M ...

Michael Stipe John Michael Stipe (; born January 4, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter and artist, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of alternative rock band R.E.M. He is known for his vocal quality, poetic lyrics and unique stage presence. Pos ...

Tom Sachs Tom Sachs (born July 26, 1966) is an American contemporary artist who lives and works in New York City. Life and early career Sachs was born in New York City on July 26, 1966. He grew up in Westport, Connecticut, attending high school at Green ...

, and Adrián Villar Rojas. In 2017, Siff collaborated with luxury fashion house Saint Laurent, bringing his imagery to the new Winter YSL 2017 Women's and Men's Ready to Wear Line.

Film, television and theater career

As an actor, Siff started out on stage at the

New York City Opera The New York City Opera (NYCO) is an American opera company located in Manhattan in New York City. The company has been active from 1943 through 2013 (when it filed for bankruptcy), and again since 2016 when it was revived. The opera company, du ...

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 milli ...

. Among the operas he sang in were; '' Carmen'', ''

Tosca ''Tosca'' is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900. The work, based on Victorien Sardou's 1887 French-language drama ...

'', '' Lucia'', and ''

Turandot ''Turandot'' (; see below) is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini, posthumously completed by Franco Alfano in 1926, and set to a libretto in Italian by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni. ''Turandot'' best-known aria is " Nessun dorma", ...

''. He has been cast in the dual role of Barry Williams/ Greg Brady in

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

's True-Life story of, ''

The Brady Bunch ''The Brady Bunch'' is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz that aired from September 26, 1969, to March 8, 1974, on ABC. The series revolves around a large blended family with six children. The show aired for five seasons and, afte ...

: The Final Days''. In I.F.C.'s ''

Rome & Jewel ''Rome & Jewel'' is a 2006 American hip-hop musical film adaptation of William Shakespeare's ''Romeo and Juliet'' set in Los Angeles that deals with interracial love. The film stars Nate Parker as Rome and Lindsey Haun as Jewel. The 2008 re-rele ...

'', a modern update of

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's '' Romeo and Juliet'', he played the role of

Tybalt Tybalt () is a character in William Shakespeare's play '' Romeo and Juliet''. He is the son of Lady Capulet's brother, Juliet's short-tempered first cousin, and Romeo's rival. Tybalt shares the same name as the character Tibert / Tybalt ''"th ...

. He had a supporting role in the 2003

Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of ''American Idol'' in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA. Her debu ...

and

Justin Guarini Justin Guarini (born Justin Eldrin Bell; October 28, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter and actor who in 2002 was the runner-up on the first season of ''American Idol''. Early life Guarini was born in Columbus, Georgia. His father, Eldr ...

film

From Justin to Kelly ''From Justin to Kelly'' is a 2003 American musical romantic comedy film written by Kim Fuller and directed by Robert Iscove. The film, starring ''American Idol'' first season winner Kelly Clarkson and runner-up Justin Guarini, won the Golde ...

, as Justin's friend "Brandon". He has also guest starred on Showtime's ''

Nurse Jackie ''Nurse Jackie'' is an American medical comedy-drama television series. It premiered on Showtime on June 8, 2009, and its seventh and final season premiered on April 12, 2015. The series finale aired on June 28, 2015. The show stars Edie Fal ...

'', HBO's, ''

How to Make It in America ''How to Make It in America'' is an American comedy-drama television series that ran on HBO from February 14, 2010, to November 20, 2011. The series follows the lives of Ben Epstein ( Bryan Greenberg) and his friend Cam Calderon ( Victor Rasuk) a ...

'', and '' C.S.I.: NY''. In 2008, Siff wrote and starred in, ''The Nothing Boys'', a critically acclaimed semi-autobiographical play about a young man who returns home to his high school for his 10-year reunion only to find one other student in attendance. ''The Nothing Boys'' was produced by

Rob Weiss Rob Weiss is an American television and film producer, screenwriter, actor, and director. His break came in 1993 when he wrote and directed the 1993 film ''Amongst Friends''. The film was well received at film festivals and scored Weiss a nomina ...

, best known as producer of HBO's ''

Entourage An entourage () is an informal group or band of people who are closely associated with a (usually) famous, notorious, or otherwise notable individual. The word can also refer to: Arts and entertainment * L'entourage, French hip hop / rap collecti ...

''. The play ran from May 2 through July 27 in Hollywood's Theater District. A portion of the proceeds from, ''The Nothing Boys'' was donated to

Covenant House Covenant House is a large, Catholic, privately funded agency in the Americas, whose primary purpose is to promote Catholicism. It provides shelter, food, immediate crisis care, and other services to homeless and runaway young people. Covenant Ho ...

California. In Spring 2010, Siff's experimental art short film, ''Sequential Paint'', written and directed by Stephen Dackson, was a featured selection at the NewFilmmakers Series in New York City's Anthology Film Archives. The film also screened at various exhibits, art shows and galleries in Los Angeles, including the opener of the 2006 Santa Ana Film Festival. As a voice actor Siff appears in the video game series, ''

Grand Theft Auto ''Grand Theft Auto'' (''GTA'') is a series of action-adventure games created by David Jones and Mike Dailly. Later titles were developed under the oversight of brothers Dan and Sam Houser, Leslie Benzies and Aaron Garbut. It is primarily d ...

'' as the voice and body of Rocco Pelosi. Rocco Pelosi is featured in '' Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony'' (2009) and '' Grand Theft Auto V'' (2013).

Selected exhibitions

2006–2011

* theheartfirebreathemanifesto, The Standard, Hollywood, CA. February 13, 2006 * The Marshmallow Show, The Standard Hotel, Hollywood, CA. November 12, 2006 * Don't You Let Me Go Tonight, Kaffe 1668 Gallery, TriBeCa, NY. January 2009 * G. (11-11-11), LA Fonderie, Los Angeles, CA. November 11–13, 2011

2012

* There & Back, Siren Studios Rooftop Sessions, Los Angeles, CA. March 1, 2012 * Matter of Time, Gallery Brown, Los Angeles, CA. October 20, 2012 * GetArt 5, Project Angel Food, Hollywood, CA, June 2, 2012 * The Usual Suspects – Lab Art, Los Angeles, CA. May 19, 2012 * D.I.Z.N.I., Graffik Gallery, London, UK, May 17, 2012 * Downtown Art Walk – Art Battles, Los Angeles, CA. May 10, 2012 * Guerilla One Cahuenga Corridor, Hollywood, CA May 6, 2012 * Communities in Schools, School Life, Bel Air, CA. May 1, 2012 * New Urban Voices, Maximillian Gallery, West Hollywood, March 31, 2012 * Venice Art Walk & Auctions / Surf & Skate Boardriders Quiksilver, Venice, CA. April 27, 2012 * Red Bull Curates: The Road to Art Basel, Los Angeles, CA. April 5, 2012 * Vinyl Revisionists, Warner Bros. Records, Burbank, CA. March 30, 2012 * There & Back, Siren Studios Rooftop Sessions, Los Angeles, CA. March 1, 2012 * Matter of Time, Gallery Brown, Los Angeles, CA. October 20, 2012

2013

*15th Annual Postcards from the Edge, Visual AIDS, New York City, January 25, 2013 * Ascending Human, Ethos Gallery, Los Angeles, January 10, 2013 * LA Art Show, Art of Elysium, January 23, 2013 * One Night Stand, The Arts Fund, San Francisco, CA, January 25, 2013 *Pieces of Heaven, The Art of Elysium and Christie's Auction House, Ace Museum, LA, February 20, 2013 * Sound of the Streets, Warner Bros. Records, LA, March 1, 2013 * G.I. Joe Tribute Show, The Loyal Subjects, LA, March 23, 2013 * Tarot: Art of Fortune, Modern Eden Gallery, San Francisco, March 16, 2013 * Kissing Lying Crying, AV, Los Angeles, March 29, 2013 * Sound of the Streets pt. II, Hot Rod LA, April 6, 2013 * Between Paint and Light, 2wenty x Gregory, Loakl Gallery, Oakland, CA, May 3, 2013 * American All Star, Gallery Brown, LA, May 18, 2013 * The Little Things, Ethos Gallery, LA, May 10, 2013 * Venice Family Clinic Print Pop Collection, Google HQ, Venice, CA, May 19, 2013 * Vans Custom Culture, The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City, June 11, 2013 * Fast Weekend, The StadiumRed Estate, The Hamptons, NY, June 15, 2013 * Word Play, Design Matters, LA, June 29, 2013 * Melrose Art Ride, Ethos Gallery, LA, July 14, 2013 *San Diego Comic Con, Wired Magazine x Kia, July 18, 2013 * Let it Fly Project, Burbank CA, August 3, 2013 * Sunset Strip Music Festival, Ethos Gallery, Hollywood CA August 3, 2013 *Art Battles LA, Exchange LA, August 8, 2013 * Lady Shark Week, Burgundy Room, Hollywood CA, August 9, 2013 * Survive Anything, Exchange Alley, NYC, August 15, 2013 * M.O.M. Made of Memories, KGB Gallery, LA, August 10, 2013 * The Lost Warhols Collection, Karen Bystedt, Teddy's Lounge, The Roosevelt, September 12, 2013 * SICKY Art in the Lot, FameYard, LA, September 14, 2013 * The 5th Element, Guerilla One x Gallery 446, Palm Springs, CA September 28, 2013

2014

*The Art of Elysium's Pieces of Heaven Gala, Chalkboard, Siren Studios, February 2014 *LA Art Show – Lawrence Cantor Fine Art Booth, Andy Warhol series, 2014 *The Loyal Subjects x Toy Tokyo, Optimus Prime group show, February 2014 *Gibson Guitartown on the Sunset Strip Charity Auction, February 2014 *ONE LOVE, Woven Accents, Los Angeles, February 14, 2014 *Gregory Siff – Bodice, Venice Family Clinic, Venice Art Walk, 2014 *Steer Ahead- Group Show, Soze Gallery, April 2014

2015

*The Dean Collection, Swizz Beatz, No Commission, Miami Beach, Art Basel *The Art of Elysium Pieces of Heaven, Christie's, MAMA Gallery, Los Angeles *Marc Jacobs, Hotel Studio Book by Louisxxx and Gregory. *Mercedes Benz Evolution Tour (live mural), Los Angeles *Venice Family Clinic Auction, Los Angeles *New York Fashion Week SS16 *Freedom, Pharrell Music Video

2016

*Portrait of an American Ice Cream Man, Mercedes-Benz & 4AM, DTLA *High Fashion Something, Surf Lodge at W South Beach, Mercedes-Benz x DSTLD x 4 am *Punks, Poets and Provocateurs, The Barn, Gruin Gallery South Hampton, NY *Hetrick-Martin Institute, South Hampton, NY *MCA Day, Group Tribute to Beastie Boy, Adam Yauch, Brooklyn, NY *Selections of Portrait of an American Ice Cream Man, Gallery Valentine, East Hampton, NY *The Art of Elysium Pieces of Heaven, Siren Studios Highland, Los Angeles

2017

*Museum at Fashion Institute of Technology, Pyer Moss #blacklivesmatter, New York City *Happiness Dealer, Samuel Owen Gallery, Nantucket, MA *From Canvas to Catwalk, Breakfast with Gregory Siff, Soho House, New York City *The Art of Elysium 20th Anniversary Auction and Sotheby's Panel, Los Angeles, CA *Avenue Los Angeles, Installation "All These James Deans" Hollywood, CA *University of Southern California Fashion + Social Media Panel and Mural, USC Annenberg Center, CA

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Siff, Greg 1977 births Living people American male film actors American male television actors Writers from Brooklyn 21st-century American dramatists and playwrights Male actors from New York City Artists from New York City