Method of Annie:
Twelve years of Anne Grgich

From the underground punk scene of Portland in the 1980's, to the new, uncertain realities of the 21st century, Anne Grgich has simply created her way through it all. "Method of Annie" celebrates 12 years of her work, spanning her gallery show in 1989 to her most recent creations.

Typified by intensely dense, textured and beautiful faces, Anne's work demands further attention and investigation. Peering back through layers of paper, cloth, paint, and puzzle pieces reveals a complexity not usually attributed to so-called self-taught artists. Beauty indeed is not merely skin deep.

An accident that catapulted her into a coma for 2 weeks as a teen took away Anne's memory. Having to relearn everything she knew, drawing in books and tablets became Anne's only means of reconnecting to her former life. Living an alternative, punk lifestyle in Portland and San Francisco, Anne carried her pens and markers in her purse all the way, illustrating in zines for cash. As a young, single, parent, Anne and her son lived in a small, cramped one-bedroom apartment, and here she turned to creating in books, filling them with rich, imaginary faces with exotic and carefully conjured names. In 1989, Anne's books caught the attention of the Jamison Thomas Gallery in Portland, and she hasn't stopped since.

By 1988, Anne had made the move up Interstate 5 to Seattle, where she presently resides. Since 1982, Anne Grgich has been featured in galleries and had her first museum show in 1987. A self-taught artist, Anne is considered an "outsider", and frequently shows at such galleries. She began painting in books, limited by her surroundings, before having the luxury of space to create her large collage paintings on canvas. As of late, she has returned to her early drawing style, using surfboards, globes, drum heads, cigar boxes and other found objects as her canvas. Incorporating her drawings with collage brings her back full circle, which in itself has elevated her work to new heights. And she is really only just beginning.