Meeting in the Middle. This is the title of Aleta Pippin and Greg Reiche’s first collaborative piece, which now hangs in a corporate office building in Houston, Texas. Spanning over 12 feet long and reaching over 3 feet high, this monumental work merges Aleta’s acrylic and resin abstract panels with Greg’s kinetic glass and steel grids. Aleta and Greg have been showing their work alongside each other at Pippin Contemporary for three years, but the idea to create a piece together didn’t transpire until about six months ago.

A group of attorney’s in Houston, who have collected 26 of Aleta’s paintings so far, contacted Aleta last November to request a very large piece for their conference room.

“I wanted to give them something extraordinary,” said Aleta. “I felt that individual panels was the way to go, but it seemed that making three or five individual painted panels simply wasn’t as dramatic as it could be.”

Then something clicked, and that’s where Greg came in.

“I have to admit, I was surprised when Aleta asked if I would like to collaborate on this piece,” explains Greg. “I have great admiration for her work and was quite flattered by the request, but was also a bit skeptical at first as to whether it would work well.”

They decided early on that Aleta would create the painting first, and Greg would respond. Aleta painted five panels with acrylic paint and a resin surface. The piece then went to Greg’s studio, where he worked from her color palette. The piece was completed within two months…and the results were nothing short of spectacular.

Golds, blues, purples and subtle reds in Aleta’s panels blend together among interesting textures, and the resin finish adds a luminosity to the piece that lends itself well to the effects of Greg’s iridized glass tiles. The tiles perfectly pick up the gold and purple hues, and the three dimensionality of the steel grid adds a dynamic contrast to the surface of the piece. Just as in his own sculptures, Greg uses brass wire to attach each glass tile to the steel, adding another texture and glint of gold to the overall composition.

Meeting in the Middle, Pippin Reiche Collaboration

Although unsure at first, Greg was amazed at the outcome.

“In the end, I think it worked beautifully,” says Greg. “The combination of her luminous, organic paintings with the linear grid structure and iridized surfaces of my glass work, worked surprisingly well. I love the way the diverse mediums play so well off each other and the incredible depth of color and luminosity of the entire piece.”

Aleta concedes. “I’m thrilled that Greg agreed to do this. Personally, I’m so excited about how beautifully it turned out and it is such a unique piece that I can see it becoming an important part of Greg’s and my work. It gives each of us the opportunity to reach a market that we weren’t as able to access on our own.”

The artists were so enthusiastic that they immediately started a second collaborative piece, Soliloquy, to hang in the gallery. This work is a bit smaller in size, 54 x 47”, but creates a similar impact with glass and steel grids moving along both sides of a vertical acrylic/resin panel, which glows with purple hues and tangible texture.

“All in all, I would say it was a fantastic match and I can see the potential for some amazing collaborations in the future as we work together to push the boundaries even further.” (Greg Reiche)

Are you interested in a collaborative piece by Aleta and Greg for your home or office? Call the gallery at 505-795-7476 or email pippincontemporary@gmail.com to discuss and personalize a dynamic piece of original art.