Conceptual Art Collection by John Greytak
Missoula, MT
ARTIST BIO | Studio Greytak is a conceptual art project by John Greytak. He explores the intersection between design by nature and design by humans. He does this by curating and collecting the most compelling examples of works from nature, then offering them up to a select group of designers who work with him at his design center in the Treasure State of Montana.
Inspired by John’s collection and the majesty of the landscape, the result is a dynamic, diverse, and exclusive collection.
John Greytak grew up in Eastern Montana. His father was a successful wheat farmer with a number of farms and John spent his summers working the land. It was here that he got an appreciation for the wide open-spaces and endless resources of the Treasure State of Montana. Known for its many mineral resources, Montana has been known for its rich supply of gold, silver, copper, sapphires, garnets, quartz, agate, and other gems and minerals.
But young John found beauty in other treasures from the land. As a boy, he gathered pieces from the farm which he tucked away for years. Years later, when he owned his first ranch, John worked with a craftsman to incorporate them into a multi-dimensional bar top that was not only a tribute to his own history, but also a work of art.
Years passed and John went to the East Coast where he started his career and his family but he always knew he would come back to Montana. When he did, he acquired properties where he could establish conservation projects. Creating and maintaining habitat for wildlife is one of John’s biggest passions and his conservation efforts are well known in the state.
But still, John had the collector’s eye for artifacts. He spent hours exploring every acre of the property. Every shed-horn or geode or amazing piece of twisted wood they came across became part of John’s “stockpile” of elements. John wasn’t sure what he would use them for, but he knew he was compelled to bring the beauty he found in nature, back to his shop for some future purpose.
While building and decorating his Bearmouth ranch in Western Montana, John’s designer suggested they bring some of the natural treasures of the Garnett area, where the ranch is located, into the design of the lodge. John loved the idea and traveled to the gem, fossil, and mineral show in Tucson, Arizona to find the perfect pieces.
John was mesmerized by the beauty and energy he discovered there and instantly fell in love with the gem and mineral world. He came back from the show with some amazing pieces for Bearmouth. Even after the lodge was complete, he continued to add to his collection. He has since made lasting relationships with vendors from all over the world who now provide Studio Greytak with their amazing specimens.
John’s vision to create functional art, furniture, and objets d’art from gems, minerals and elements of nature came from his own love of the natural world, his keen eye, and his ability to bring together a team of world-class designers and artisans to make pieces that transform spaces with their beauty, their energy, and their stories. For John, it is about the people, the process, and most importantly, the journey.
