Curated by: Roma Gallery & Athina Lasithiotaki
Artists: Costis, Danil, Haris Gavrilos, Anastasis Ioannou, Niki Kanagini, Michalis
Katzourakis, Marianna Lourba, Yannis Michas, Pavlos, Vassilis Skylakos, Giorgos Tsakiris,
Leonidas Tsirigoulis, Opy Zouni
Opening: June 4th, 19:30 - 21:00
Duration: 04.06.2024 - 06.07.2024
Chromophobia: the fear of destruction or generalized decline caused by color.
The experience of color, whether it is in relation to art or independently, has intrigued
Western civilization for hundreds of years. Newton, Goethe, and Wittgenstein have
extensively discussed the empirical or physical study of the nature of color and
particularly how color is perceived by humans. Since ancient times, color has been
something different, a foreign body, a gesture likened to the childish, the vulgar, the
superficial, the ornamental. For example, the Fauvism movement was named by art
critic Louis Vauxcelles in 1905, who coined the term "wild beasts" (les fauves) to
describe a group of painters with common roots, as an immediate danger to art.
Thirteen artists at Roma Gallery engage in a visual discussion to explore the position
and perception of color in contemporary culture through various media and practices.
In this composition of ideas, we observe the dynamic evolution of color both as a
cultural symbol and as an aesthetic force in postmodern and contemporary art.
The exhibition "Chromophobia" borrows its title from David Batchelor’s book, aiming to
participate in a visual investigation regarding how postwar and contemporary society
and art perceive color. "The postwar period was the period of the digitization of color
in art [...] digitalized colors have a closer relationship with works of art that refer directly
or indirectly to the experience of modernism," writes Batchelor in the early 21st
century, intending to integrate color into a broader social and aesthetic discussion.
Donald Judd, a few years earlier, aptly suggested that for color to survive in a world
where painting is beginning to fade, it must emerge in three-dimensional space.
Batchelor's proposition for the digitization of color underscores a shift in artistic
practice, where the essence of color transcends traditional media and finds expression
in the realm of technology and virtuality. Simultaneously, Judd's suggestion for adapting
color to three-dimensional space reflects a response to the differentiated paradigms of
artistic creation, indicating that the vitality of color lies in its ability to be placed in
physical dimensions beyond the boundaries of the traditional canvas.
Costis's incorporation of color and matter in natural phenomena implies the dynamic
dimension of color beyond its visual representation. The color in Costis's work is an
uncontrollable force that, through its strategic placement, supports the form. The color in Danil's works comes like light: dazzling and solitary. The scenes presented could
derive from the physical study of light, its diffusion, and the perception of light as
meaning. The artistic gesture in Haris Gavrilos' work, sensitive and romantic like the
entirety of his practice, carries an endless depth. His expression through color and form
allows emotion to flourish in the two-dimensional space, in a way that transcends the
boundaries of representation. Anastasis Ioannou's practice of color as a dynamic
element in the painting tradition reflects a departure from conventional representation,
suggesting a deeper connection with the very essence of color. Niki Kanagini's personal,
linguistic expression, articulated through color and the illegible writing in her
manuscripts, speaks of the intrinsic relationship between color and communication,
beyond conventional linguistic boundaries. Michalis Katzourakis' geometric sculptural
and painting gestures reshape the dimension of forms, emphasizing the systematic role
of color in the (re)shaping perception of the world around us. In Marianna Lourba's
work, color, texture, and form intertwine to create virtual spaces, without beginning
and end, transcending traditional painting practices and resonating with the evolving
landscape of contemporary expression. Yannis Michas, especially in his early works
influenced by constructivism, drew rows of successive shapes, which he accentuated
with complementary colors. In Pavlos' works, the intricate interaction between color
and materiality creates a dynamic environment where color shapes form and meaning.
Thus, it suggests the endless possibilities of color in shaping our understanding of space
and composition. Vassilis Skylakos's works, whether categorized into his early painting
or his later minimalist period, present color as part of the material identity of the object.
Color separates, embellishes, highlights, reminds, just like the objects he uses. Giorgos
Tsakiris's systematic handling of materials emits a sense of structured, organic space,
prompting the interaction between color and materiality to create form. The color in
Leonidas Tsirigoulis's works is as dynamic as the messages they communicate. It is
suffocating like overconsumption and environmental destruction, concepts he
consciously opposes in his practice. The composition of geometry and color in Opy
Zouni's work functions as a platform for exploring spatial relationships, activating a
broader discussion on the role of color in defining and psychologically understanding
the surrounding space.
Artists: Costis, Danil, Haris Gavrilos, Anastasis Ioannou, Niki Kanagini, Michalis
Katzourakis, Marianna Lourba, Yannis Michas, Pavlos, Vassilis Skylakos, Giorgos Tsakiris,
Leonidas Tsirigoulis, Opy Zouni
Opening: June 4th, 19:30 - 21:00
Duration: 04.06.2024 - 06.07.2024
Chromophobia: the fear of destruction or generalized decline caused by color.
The experience of color, whether it is in relation to art or independently, has intrigued
Western civilization for hundreds of years. Newton, Goethe, and Wittgenstein have
extensively discussed the empirical or physical study of the nature of color and
particularly how color is perceived by humans. Since ancient times, color has been
something different, a foreign body, a gesture likened to the childish, the vulgar, the
superficial, the ornamental. For example, the Fauvism movement was named by art
critic Louis Vauxcelles in 1905, who coined the term "wild beasts" (les fauves) to
describe a group of painters with common roots, as an immediate danger to art.
Thirteen artists at Roma Gallery engage in a visual discussion to explore the position
and perception of color in contemporary culture through various media and practices.
In this composition of ideas, we observe the dynamic evolution of color both as a
cultural symbol and as an aesthetic force in postmodern and contemporary art.
The exhibition "Chromophobia" borrows its title from David Batchelor’s book, aiming to
participate in a visual investigation regarding how postwar and contemporary society
and art perceive color. "The postwar period was the period of the digitization of color
in art [...] digitalized colors have a closer relationship with works of art that refer directly
or indirectly to the experience of modernism," writes Batchelor in the early 21st
century, intending to integrate color into a broader social and aesthetic discussion.
Donald Judd, a few years earlier, aptly suggested that for color to survive in a world
where painting is beginning to fade, it must emerge in three-dimensional space.
Batchelor's proposition for the digitization of color underscores a shift in artistic
practice, where the essence of color transcends traditional media and finds expression
in the realm of technology and virtuality. Simultaneously, Judd's suggestion for adapting
color to three-dimensional space reflects a response to the differentiated paradigms of
artistic creation, indicating that the vitality of color lies in its ability to be placed in
physical dimensions beyond the boundaries of the traditional canvas.
Costis's incorporation of color and matter in natural phenomena implies the dynamic
dimension of color beyond its visual representation. The color in Costis's work is an
uncontrollable force that, through its strategic placement, supports the form. The color in Danil's works comes like light: dazzling and solitary. The scenes presented could
derive from the physical study of light, its diffusion, and the perception of light as
meaning. The artistic gesture in Haris Gavrilos' work, sensitive and romantic like the
entirety of his practice, carries an endless depth. His expression through color and form
allows emotion to flourish in the two-dimensional space, in a way that transcends the
boundaries of representation. Anastasis Ioannou's practice of color as a dynamic
element in the painting tradition reflects a departure from conventional representation,
suggesting a deeper connection with the very essence of color. Niki Kanagini's personal,
linguistic expression, articulated through color and the illegible writing in her
manuscripts, speaks of the intrinsic relationship between color and communication,
beyond conventional linguistic boundaries. Michalis Katzourakis' geometric sculptural
and painting gestures reshape the dimension of forms, emphasizing the systematic role
of color in the (re)shaping perception of the world around us. In Marianna Lourba's
work, color, texture, and form intertwine to create virtual spaces, without beginning
and end, transcending traditional painting practices and resonating with the evolving
landscape of contemporary expression. Yannis Michas, especially in his early works
influenced by constructivism, drew rows of successive shapes, which he accentuated
with complementary colors. In Pavlos' works, the intricate interaction between color
and materiality creates a dynamic environment where color shapes form and meaning.
Thus, it suggests the endless possibilities of color in shaping our understanding of space
and composition. Vassilis Skylakos's works, whether categorized into his early painting
or his later minimalist period, present color as part of the material identity of the object.
Color separates, embellishes, highlights, reminds, just like the objects he uses. Giorgos
Tsakiris's systematic handling of materials emits a sense of structured, organic space,
prompting the interaction between color and materiality to create form. The color in
Leonidas Tsirigoulis's works is as dynamic as the messages they communicate. It is
suffocating like overconsumption and environmental destruction, concepts he
consciously opposes in his practice. The composition of geometry and color in Opy
Zouni's work functions as a platform for exploring spatial relationships, activating a
broader discussion on the role of color in defining and psychologically understanding
the surrounding space.
Text: Athina Lasithiotaki (Undergrad. BA (Hons) in Art History)
Roma 5 Kolonaki, Αθήνα
Δεν υπάρχουν σχόλια:
Δημοσίευση σχολίου