Sculpture in our life. Why do we not choose to include sculpture in our household as much as we do with paintings, music and other forms of art / art objects?...

In June 2017 a group of artists was formed. 20 artists from 12 countries explore issues of identity and sense of place, in the broadest sense.George Sfougaras initiated this and is acting as an artist and a curator for the group.

I am part of this group and I invite you to visit our new website https://www.focusonidentity.org

Group exhibition-tribute to George Zongolopoulos featuring works by contemporary Greek artists in dialogue with selected works by the renowned Greek sculptor.

Nov 22, 2016 – Jan 28, 2017

This wonderful verse from the sonnets of William Shakespeare is the title, of a group installation at the foyer of Cyclades Street Theatre-Lefteris Vogiatzis (Athens Greece), in conversation with the theatrical tribute that takes place in the theater (October to February). The work I submitted is “the reader” Earthstone fired clay 20Χ12Χ16 cm 2016 (not for sale).

When a work is meaningful and contributes knowledge and understanding of the world, then it is part of the world as it has an allocated role. We tend to investigate, measure and evaluate the reality through our body, which also serves as a memory bank and reflects its relation to space and time. By employing the human figure my intention is to stimulate the viewer, imagining himself being the figure, trading places for a moment to perceive the space and time from another perspective. I wish to explore the possible, spontaneous relationship we build with the figure to allow the viewer to look closer to the moment of encounter.

In February 20 2016 I was invited to give a presentation of my project in a Percha-Kutcha event at the University of Lincoln (http://www.pechakucha.org/cities/lincoln-uk/events/56baeaa5bfb6ff5d58000001). A Pecha-Kutcha presentation is a quick and juicy presentation that someone has to create following 2 basic rules: 20 slides X 20 seconds each. A total of 6 minutes and 40 seconds! I though it was easy… but NO! It was tough but at the same time very intriguing.
Here it is the result

Chaos comes to order, unreachable is found, loose becomes tight, lost is connected, deterioration turns to preservation, history lost, revives to become history found, a moment in time may be forever there…
From the exhibition
Accidents Need Not Happen
Curated by Wang Yao
Andrew Bracey, David Fowling, Laura Johnson, Chunmei Liu, James Phaily, Tao Zhang, Eleni Zevgaridou.

“… we all love books..”

in 2010 Patti Smith appeared in New York Public Library to mark the release of her book “Just Kids,” which chronicles her relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in 1960s and 70s New York City. Joined by NYPL’s Paul Holdengraber, Patti Smith takes the stage to discuss friendship, youth, and her creative awakening — and maybe even sing a song or two. (https://soundcloud.com)

Attention consists of suspending our thought, leaving it detached, empty, and ready to be penetrated by the object; it means holding in our minds, within reach of that though, but on a lower level and not in contact with, the diverse knowledge we have acquired, which we are forced to make use of. Our thought should be in relation to all particular and already formulated thoughts, as a man on a mountain, who, as he looks forward, sees also below him, without actually looking at them, a great many forests and plains. Above all our thought should be empty, waiting, not seeking anything, but ready to receive in its naked truth the object that is to penetrate it.

Simone Weil in “Waiting for God”
https://www.brainpickings.org

The final show of my Master’s degree, “to be discussed” private view on 10th September 2015, in the Project Space Plus, University of Lincoln, United Kingdom.

What is democracy? How do artists respond to this notion, and does this differ from practitioners in other fields? In this proposal there will be given an outline for a curatorial project called DEMOCRARTCY. 

The scale of the figures is an issue that I had to search in depth. Behind my initial decision lied the idea that small would help me hide the identity of the sitter and focus on the body language.

Our daily program is totally depended to electronic tools and media as our personal interaction with other people is mostly driven by technology. Observation of the people surrounding us has decreased so much. I dare say that we are absorbed by the touch screens which are about to become an extension of our hands.

a GP residency, Lincoln UK

The human figure as a form and an image introduce us to a deep understanding and appreciation, concerning the person we are looking at.

This project is about hand made, minumental, representational, full body figures, portraits of individuals. 

To depict an emotion an artist paints a body. If we didn’t know that the emotions look like we couldn’t  understand that.

The models choose the posture, a favourite standing or seating posture as relaxed as possible. During the photographic session we exchange conversations about colours and posture habits, also about their feelings on participating in the project.

... but through this project I am mostly interested in the role of gift as an agency between the artistic experience, the artist and the sitter.

Personalism deals with what it means to be a person, and what it is for persons to live in personal, social, national and international relationships in an age of increasing globalization.

There is no NEED for a gift. There is only a WISH of a gift giving.

“…through art we may nominate order, perspectives, and create the necessary environment for meaningful relationships to grow, become systematic and enhanced.”

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aesthetics-existentialist/

the human factor

exhibition's FB page