Shreveport Times

Artist Gregg Hornbeak stands, above with the four-panel canvas that captivates visitors at Christus Schumpert's new Orthopedic Center on Line Avenue, "Gregg is a color genius," vows Edward Nader of Nader's Gallery, who's been handling much of Hornbeak's corporate work for "10 good years," Nadar says he genuinely enjoys working with the well respected artist, calls his "brilliant" and adds the paintings Hornbeak produces "come from his soul."

regg Hornbeak philosophies about the challenge artists must endure in today's world: "These days our minds are constantly bombarded with visual images. On film, in print and video they are digitalized, colorized and synthesized. It's technology at the price of culture. The artist's role is as social critic, to show himself as he is, was and can be."

Hornbeak's eyes are intent as he talks. He is extremely serious about his art but is quick to point out he's definitely not a starving artist. "The restaurant business will always take care of that, " he inserts. He's been involved in the business for more than twenty years -- his initial job waiting tables in college. "I attended several years, studying art and architecture at NLU, Louisiana Tech and LSU-Sheveport."

According to his own self-analysis, Hornbeak's paintings are "introspective and personal, contemplative and spiritual. He further explains that there is a duality of simplicity and complexity in my work. It has been distilled and refined, allowing the geometry and the colors to create unity and harmony." Gregg creates his paintings on very large canvases. He says they are "large scale, geometric, color-field canvases, saturated with luminous color and filled with archetypical shapes of mandalas and matrixes."

He realizes to the layman, his works look like "just colors and shapes," and he's fine with that. However, to him they are "like Shiva/Vishnu Braha/Indra." And, that's why he likes and enjoys abstract art so much--"it can be whatever you need it to be." He reminds quickly are doesn't have to match your couch.!

With valid reason Gregg has his works hanging throughout the Shreveport-Bossier area and the region... in bank towers, hospital atriums, hotel lobbies, restaurants, as well as man personal collections. His work can be viewed at numerous Fortune 500 companies, like Texas Instruments and Frito La. He has had shows in Shreveport, in Hot Springs, Pensacola and Deep Ellum in Dallas. Locally, Edward Nadar of Nadars Gallery on East Kings represents Hornbeak.

Born and bred in Springhill, Hornbeak is married to his childhood sweetheart -- he insists he and Missy are "completely codependent." Maybe so, but certainly they're individually very artistic. She graduated from Centenary in dance and owns The Dance Shop, where she teaches all ages. Gregg traveled extensively in Europe, the U.S. and Mexico before marriage.

Over the years, Hornbeak has worked in some of the area's finest restaurants. He had a ten year stint at Ralph & Kacoo's. Yes, the the murals there are his and started with The Season''s Grille when it opened in Benton earlier this year. "I work with Chef Frank Lesaegne, and we have, without a doubt, some of the finest cuisine in this region," Gregg praises. "I enjoy working with Frank; he is a true artist." As the old saying goes, it takes one to know one.