Gregory Walter Horndeski was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1948 and got his B.A.
[1] In 1974 he published his paper on a general second order scalar–tensor theory of gravitation,[2] which would remain largely uncited for over 30 years before being revisited in the 2010's as an important theory in the development of modern cosmology.
[3] He became a tenured professor at the University of Waterloo in 1979, a position which he left in 1981 to focus on his painting work.
Horndeski developed his interest in art on a trip to Europe while studying physics at Washington University in St. Louis, and eventually left his work in physics to pursue a career in art as a painter, relocating to Dallas, Texas.
[1] Horndeski has focused on his work as a painter for the last 40 years of his career, with his paintings being exhibited at museums,[1] galleries[4] and art fairs.