Ryan Gregory: Nervous Rhythms: (Focused in Chaos = Beauty)

Posted in: Art

“The right tool for the job” often feels like quiet oppression—a way to discourage experimentation under the guise of efficiency. Flint-based artist Ryan Gregory challenges that mindset head-on. A welder, sculptor, and junk revivalist, Gregory builds with what’s around him—embracing rawness, improvisation, and failure as part of the form. This exhibition centers on The River Gazer, a monumental steamboat constructed from hand-stamped aluminum sheets, recently installed along the Saginaw riverfront. Its skeletal presence echoes both industrial memory and American mythology. In the first gallery, visitors can explore Gregory’s original blueprints and schematic drawings—part manual, part manifesto. In the second gallery, a selection of smaller sculptures, hybrid tools, and fabricated artifacts reveals Gregory’s broader practice: one that values process over polish, and spirit over standard. His work enters conversation with the likes of Constantin Brancusi, Alberto Giacometti, and Tom Sachs—artists who obsess over the handmade, the ritual of building, and the poetry of material. Runs through Sept.27th. Saginaw Art Museum, 1126 N. Michigan Ave. Opens at noon. Phone: (989) 754-2491. Opening reception July 1st at 5:30 PM.