LandEscape A r t R e v i e w Anniversary Edition C o n t e m p o r a r y Marie-Judith Jean-Louis ART SANDRA HANEY DRAGAN GELEV ERIC MATRANGA NASIM NOURIAN MARLOES ABEN ANNA BARLAS CRAIG STOVER KONSTANTINOS SPIROPOULOS MARIE-JUDITH JEAN-LOUIS
SUMMARY Anna Barlas USA C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w Russia Craig Stover It is my desire to make things that attract people and create that one thing in the room that people are drawn toward, question, and ponder. For the better part of 30 years, I have been making artworks in which I set out to challenge both myself and the viewer. Over the years, I have shifted from making work that was thoroughly planned out in every detail to slowly morphing into a technique whereby I do not know what the final image will be. This desire to let go has enabled me see my own work more as others do: not with an understanding of what I've created but more with an eye towards seeing other hidden meanings and structures that I wasn't conscious of within the works. I'm fascinated by what springs out of my mind when I'm able to let it loose. Each picture that I've made in my artistic career has always made references to the ones that came before it. Special Issue Marloes Aben The Netherlands USA Land scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Dragan Gelev Macedonia/Switzerland I create my works first and most often for the longest time in my thoughts, but not every time I manage to transfer what I have imagined on the canvas, because it happens very often that the artwork itself to take you to the opposite creative moment and direction and in the end to also looks nice, to hold particular beauty and message within. Each work has its own hidden message or theme, perhaps a motive, and I am really pleased to hear that the viewer still clearly recognizes what is the message or what the author painted. My paintings seek their place in the world of expressionism, an artistic style that is my favourite. Personally, I have always been fascinated by the fact that in that chaos you manage to find the perfect solution, or in the explosion of colour logic and harmony with every stroke of the brush that the author himself drew. Capturing the light and the darkness in, around and within a subject…a face, a body, an object fascinates me. My inspiration is the light that surrounds even the darkest of spaces. This elusive quality of light transforms everything around us and it could be so fleeting, so transient. I see the vast expanse of the sky, the solidity of the earth, the stories behind the eyes and I’m compelled to let it guide me through a process that I call my creative expression. My goal as an artist is to inspire those who see my work to discover this magical light in and around themselves.Although I discovered my creative side when I was just a tiny being, it fizzled out as I entered my adolescent and early adulthood. Growing up, my parents considered art and humanities to be just a hobby, something that you did to entertain yourself. I was taught that one was not to pursue a dream of being an ‘artist’ and instead one should focus on developing a ‘serious’ career. So for many years, I abandoned creating art. Born in Russia in 1970, Anna Barlas studied at the Ukrainian Natural Science Faculty and the Moscow State Institute. She realized her first art works in Svetlana İnaç Atelier between 2012-2015. Continuing, she has participated in 2018 and 2021 in ART Ankara Contemporary Art Fair; She attended the Art Seminar "River and Lemon" in Irbid, Jordan. The same year, she took part in the "Woman in Life" exhibition at Gallery Abay in Istanbul and in the "Dreams, Emotions, Colors" solo exhibition at the Dünyagoz Hospital Gallery; In 2019, she participated in the exhibition of the 100th Anniversary of May 19th (a national commemoration day), the Fifth International Armada Art Festival, and the Third International Day of Art in Ardahan University. Personal exhibition was held at gallery of the United Painters and Sculptors Society in Ankara between 3rd – 15th June 2022.Russian-born Turkish painting artist Anna Barlas works in the style of "Magical reality". Nasim Nourian USA Art is first and foremost personal expression. While the appeal of what the artist produces may reflect the values of the time it is still drawn from the artist’s internal vision.Art has always been my method to heal and seek comfort and remains so.Not everything can be measured, analyzed, and described in scientific terms, though I spent much of my life engaged in scientific investigation. Art is more than science and often defies description and measurement. My Art is about harmony and reaches the soul in ways that can’t always be quantified or pinned down. I’ve always been interested in Nature and the natural resources involved in the complexity of modern life. The works of Man do not impress me and you don’t find them in my Art. I am frequently moved by the presence of grandeur I have experienced outside among the wonders of Nature found among western landscapes. Jorge Rojas Naima Karim Cécile Filipe Wandering in the world with my eyes wide open inspires me to start the process of creating my work. During this process I reflect on contrasts like flat versus spatial, universal versus unique, shapes versus residual shapes. These tensions interest and challenge me. Focusing carefully on my subject allows me to create my own visions of what I see around me in my paintings and drawings. In my opinion the most beautiful and interesting things can be found right in front of you on a daily basis. I like to imagine and cherish this in my creations. I gladly invite you to take a closer look. I try to embrace all the beautiful things I encounter in my process and that gives my work layering. I learned to capture the essence and leave the noise out. After taking a bit of distance and time to assess my unfinished work together with my teacher we would either decide what needed to be done, or he would say: “Sometimes you can finish your work by just looking at it...” The work was done. Eric Matranga
Special Issue Special thanks to Miya Ando, Juerg Luedi, Urte Beyer, Beth Krensky, Rudiger Fischer, Lisa Birke, Haylee Lenkey, Martin Gantman, Ariane Littman, Max Epstein, Nicolas Vionnet, Sapir Kesem Leary, Greg Condon, Jasper Van Loon, Alexandre Dang, Christian Gastaldi, Larry Cwik, Michael Nelson, Dana Taylor, Michael Sweeney, Colette Hosmer, Melissa Moffat, Marinda Scaramanga and Artemis Herber. SUMMARY Land scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Sandra Haney United Kingdom My relationship with my surroundings has been a feature of my work for many years. Inspiration currently comes from local natural spaces where I regularly walk. I create expressive paintings inspired by moments in landscape. Being outdoors in nature frees me to immerse myself in an inner world which I endeavour to recreate visually, at times linking to memories and imagination. There is an element of abstraction in my work, as I explore ways to convey the feeling of place at a certain time. I usually paint in oils, where my paintings start from direct observation. I am particularly attracted to expansive landscapes looking towards a distant horizon where sky meets land. My paintings are influenced by the prevailing season and weather conditions. I like to explore abstraction, focussing on marks and process. Some of my more abstract work contains reference to landscapes and memory of place and time. 4 20 Craig Stover lives and works in Philadelphia, PA, USA Konstantinos Spiropoulos lives and works in Greece Dragan Gelev lives and works in Basel, Switzerland Nasim Nourian lives and works in Aspen, CO, USA Marloes Aben lives and works in Rotterdam, the Netherlands Sandra Haney lives and works in Durham, United Kingdom Anna Barlas lives and works in Germany Eric Matranga lives and works in the United States Marie-Judith Jean-Louis lives and works in Toronto, Canada 36 56 78 106 130 152 182 My long journey of painting began with the depiction of the landscape of the open space using materials of Byzantine hagiography in an attempt to synthesize the past with the present urban space. For me, the urban landscape suggests an articulated statement of culture but also communication within a field where I can negotiate and reconsider individual freedom, because I believe that the way human communication is conducted, is a relief image and measure of the culture of people and societies. The expressionist and surreal elements are evident in my painting which has been influenced by pop culture, figuration Libre and graffiti, in my attempt to present a diverse and direct reflection of modern society. My visual writing often uses the human figure and the form of objet trouve and connects it with figurative elements of the street and the ephemeral. Through floating symbols, letters and words I become a signal painter wanting to lead the viewer to the general interpretation environment and propose a new interpretation. Many times with the vehicle of discreet and creative humor I touch on vital issues such as the city limits that threaten the natural landscape, the violence on the streets, the aesthetics of television and the media. Konstantinos Spiropoulos Greece Joe O’Brien Canada Marie-Judith Jean-Louis I create to better understand my surroundings and to uncover the mysteries behind people, nature, places and how they relate to one another. I study them through my sketches, words, drawings and paintings, looking for connections and meaning. I tend to paint a lot of cloud scenes. They are visual meditations pieces, exploring the interactions between the viewers’ mind and the art. I have an obsession with finding meaning behind my subjects: looking for the unseen and bringing them into light for others to see more. Creating art makes me feel more connected to people because I feel I understand them (and myself) better. With my art, I wish to convey a sense of human connection, curiosity, wonder, awe, and peace. Uplifting people’s spirit through my art energizes me. Knowing that there’s a chance that my art can help others appreciate life more gives me a great sense of purpose. The main message I aim to convey with my art is that our world is more wonderful and magical than we can ever imagine and that we are all connected.
Hello Craig and welcome to LandEscape. Before starting to elaborate about your artistic production we would like to invite our readers to visit www.picturemaker.com to get a wide idea about your artistic production, and we would start this interview with a couple of questions about your background. You have a solid formal training: you hold a B.F.A. from the University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA and you later worked as studio assistant for artists Sam Maitin and Elizabeth Osbourne: how do these formative years influence your evolution as an artist? Moreover, how does your cultural substratum It is my desire to make things that attract people and create that one thing in the room that people are drawn toward, question, and ponder. For the better part of 30 years, I have been making artworks in which I set out to challenge both myself and the viewer. Over the years, I have shifted from making work that was thoroughly planned out in every detail to slowly morphing into a technique whereby I do not know what the final image will be. This desire to let go has enabled me see my own work more as others do: not with an understanding of what I've created but more with an eye towards seeing other hidden meanings and structures that I wasn't conscious of within the works. I'm fascinated by what springs out of my mind when I'm able to let it loose. Each picture that I've made in my artistic career has always made references to the ones that came before it. This allows all of my works to not only talk to each other but for the entire body of work to be one big conversation when viewed as a whole. In my early years, these conversations were more thematic. I spoke of things like mythology, war, and nature. More recently, my works have stripped away these themes to focus more on the basics of life and its building blocks: color, line, shape, and imagination. In doing so, I've found a way to let my audience use their own imagination to look at and perceive my work in new ways that I might never have intended. An interview by Josh Ryder, curator and Melissa C. Hilborn, curator [email protected] Land scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW LandEscape meets Craig Stover
Sentinel painting installed
address the direction of your current artistic research? Craig Stover: Thank you for inviting me to talk to you about my work. I appreciate what it is you do for the arts and was thrilled at the chance to discuss my a work with you and your audiences. What I saw as a young artist working for both Sam and Elizabeth was a confirmation of their commitment to the arts and their fearless trust in pursuing their own creations using their own language and vision. I believe that their influence in my work is apparent, particularly with the experimentations in color and form. They were both such wonderful people who took the time to talk and listen to younger artists and I feel fortunate to have worked with them both. I learned firsthand that two different struggles – how to be an artist and what to do as an artist – are not always linked. What I mean is that I found it’s common for even great artists to struggle to find audiences if they don’t also put time into the business of the arts. As for cultural influences, my culture set me on the path that I’m on but I’m no longer trying to talk about it in my work. I learned early on that I don’t need to chase this to put it into my work, rather, it occurs naturally. Because modern technology produces a Elaine Crowe scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Sentinel, 2021 Pastel on paper 50” x 38” Sentinel, 2022 Pastel on paper 20” x 16”
saturation of culture at the touch of the button, I’ve come to a point where I need to deeply filter my culture to speak with a clear voice. I seek to make something unique, something universally appealing, and something that speaks more to the core of what it means to be alive. Admittedly, I know that I differ from other artists because of the path that I have chosen. My path was formulated years ago with a few simple rules: Always follow my interests. Dive deep into my ideas even if they lead to dead ends. Invent a personal language to tell new stories. Be open to big changes and learn from them. These rules are meant to help me invent, create, and discover the new from within myself. For this special edition of LandEscape we have selected the Sentinels series — a stimulating body of works that our readers have already started to get to know in the introductory pages of this article — that has at once captured our attention for the way it highlights the connection between reality and abstraction through such essential style. scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Special Edition Sentinel, 2022 Pastel on paper 50” x 38” Sentinel, 2022 Pastel on paper 20” x 16”
Sentinel painting installed
scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Special Edition Sentinel, 2021, Pastel on paper, 50” x 38”
Craig Stover scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land When walking our readers through the genesis of Sentinels series, would you tell us something about your usual setup and process? Craig Stover: The Sentinels series started at the beginning of the pandemic. At the time I wanted to start something new and had a number of ideas I wanted to pursue. One idea was to make a warrior, standing at attention and holding a large spear. If I were to make one, it would be a soldier and if I made many, I could make an army. A modern art army. Because everyone was so vulnerable at the time, this concept was especially appealing to me. I felt that making something that could protect us all was an interesting idea. I loved hearing from a collector who has one of the Sentinels that he called it a good luck charm for his house. That made me feel that I was on a good path. I made this series because I still have a deep desire to talk to my audiences and I wanted to say — Here’s what I’m thinking. Here’s a chunk of time that I dedicated to these ideas and that this picture is a reflection of me. Because I wanted to make a good number of these warriors, it gave me a reason to approach these figures in a new way from my previous works. Instead of planning, I make these with immediate thought, just right before I put paint to canvas. It’s what the abstract expressionists called psychic automatism (which really derived Sentinel, 2021 Pastel on paper 50” x 38” Sentinel, 2021 Pastel on paper 50” x 38”
scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Special Edition from surrealism). I don’t use this as the reason for the picture but rather as a tool that I use to develop new ideas - even within a very structured environment. My goal was to make them all unique individuals while unifying them all, much like humankind. After about a year of working on the series, I realized I had found a reason to work with shapes, color, and line beyond just pure abstraction. It may sound basic but to me it’s akin to starting again from the beginning. We have appreciated the sapient combination between essential — and at the same time refined — sense of geometry and such delicate and thoughtful nuances that marks out your artworks. How does your own psychological make-up determine the nuances of tones that you decide to include in your artworks? Craig Stover: I think that the tone that you speak of, specifically that of colors, derive not so much from my psychology but rather from a deep understanding of what color can do. The things I often like to hide in my pictures like puzzles, codes, and double meanings can be implied using the tonalities of color. Color can imply more than just feelings. It can define space, shape, and volume. Sentinel, 2022 Pastel on paper 50” x 38” Sentinel, 2022 Pastel on paper 50” x 38”
Craig Stover scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Sentinel, 2021, Pastel on paper, 50” x 38”
A flash point in my artistic life came when I really began to understand both negative and implied shape and what they could really do. Doing so opened the door to using those same techniques to hide in plain sight additional refrences and story lines within my work. The nuances of tone that you refrence is most likely me using that same technique of adding additional information within the picture. I believe I’ve reached a point where I no longer need to think of color as just an expression of mood or feeling since that just seems to happen automatically. I now think of color as a tool that’s just as important as the line. scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Special Edition Aggressive Nature, 2003 Oil on canvas 8’ x 15’6” (6 panels)
We appreciate the way your artistic production invites the spectatorship to question the basics of life. In particular, your Sentinels series draws from the covid pandemic and these current troublesome times: how do your memories and your everyday life's experience fuel your artistic research? Craig Stover: I can only hope that when audiences learn that this series was drawn from the pandemic, that they are challenged to question what they are seeing. For me, it’s not so much my memories and experiences that are a driver of my works but rather I know that their inclusion might help reflect the current zeitgeist, which I find interesting. I strive to make a more universal artwork rather than talking about personal memories. However, that doesn’t mean that my experiences in life aren’t very much reflected in the works. If everyday experiences are reflected in the works, I usually make a point to hide them because those experiences don’t need to be up front. I consider them more like journal notes. Over time I’ve seen the rise of art that reflects both our current social ills and victories. I realized that not only are there are many, many artists who are pursuing this in their works, but that I didn’t want to be just another voice in the chorus. I found that what I really want to pursue are ideas that come from within. The success of pictures like Imaginary Botanicals, 2004 and Minotaur, 2012 helped reinforce those ideas and allowed me the room to explore invention to a greater extent. I believe that this path is the one that will help me most while I seek out the bigger answers. As you have remarked in your artist's statement, the works from your Sentinels and Imaginary Botanicals series are specifically constructed with undefined parts so that the viewer is challenged to use their own imagination to see what they are looking at. We dare say that your artworks highlight contours of known reality in an unknown world, inviting the viewers to look inside of what appears to be seen, rather than its surface: how important is it for you to provide your audience with freedom to realize their own perception? More specifically, how important is it for you to trigger the viewers' imagination to address them to elaborate personal interpretations? Craig Stover scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land
Craig Stover: The parts that sometimes appear undefined are actually invitations for the viewer to see the works in different ways. In my work, a single line (of a figure) may be a shoulder, breast, elbow, or torso. Leaving the work open like this gives the viewer an opportunity to decipher the work themselves. People who see the line as a shoulder then have to make decisions about what the rest of the image may be and then in doing so, they imagine the remainder of the figure, whereas a person who sees that same line as a breast, then imagines a different figure. I enjoy knowing that the figure is different for different people and that given time, people can make what they see different depending on their own imagination. I believe it would be a mistake for me to try to force an audience to see things in a very specific way to understand the work of art. I believe doing so has limitations that not only impede the works’ clarity but also makes the work more about an artist’s hubris more than their message. How people perceive reality varies greatly from one person to another and no one’s understanding of their reality can dictate that of another. I believe that if someone says they see something within a work that I made and that’s not what I intentionally did, their vision and understanding of what they see can be just as right as my own. This freedom to accept wildly different audience perceptions in my work is actually been a big benefit in the evolution of my work. It has lead me to believe that the truest definition of a work of art is everyone’s understanding of it combined. You often work with large canvas, that — as the interesting Aggressive Nature — provide the viewers with such immersive visual experience: how do the dimensions of your canvases affect your workflow? Craig Stover: The size of my pictures are usually very intentional. The smallest works force viewers to come up closely, usually one at a time, and I think of them as small conversations — sometimes even whispers. These are usually very personal pictures with very specific meanings. Making larger works requires different muscles, which in turn provide different shapes, textures, and ideas. A larger picture interacts with its audiences differently. They can command peoples attention and require them to physically stand back to view them. Larger pictures help when telling a larger story but they can also be harder to control. The only real difference in the workflow in crafting larger pictures is that it often does force me to create studies beforehand. To make something larger is to make a louder statement. My biggest works are often messages to the masses. When I made Aggressive Nature in 2003, I wanted to make a work that addressed the idea of war (this painting was a reactionary response to the Iraq/American war). It is not just a peace painting but a picture that reflects on the nature of man that leads to war. To tell a specific narrative, I needed to make studies of a number of references within the picture, to have them work together correctly. You are a versatile artist and your practice unveils the point of convergence between abstraction and figurative. Scottish painter Peter Doig once remarked that even most realistic paintings are derived more from within the head than from what's out there in front of us, how do you consider the relationship between reality and imagination, playing within your artistic production? Craig Stover: The relationship between reality and imagination for me are two sides of the same coin. What I imagine I make real. I would agree with Mr. Doig in his assessment about realistic paintings but I’d go one step further. Even the most realistic, most photogenic artworks are still just abstractions of scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Special Edition
reality made manifest by the artist’s mind. For my own work, I have always been more interested in what I can imagine rather than what I see. When I first became an artist I asked myself what I could do that would be different, that would be truly me, and what I could focus on for the entirety of my life that would keep me interested and learning, even if it meant going against all current trends and isms. I realized that the one path I could take that would guarantee this would be to explore what’s in my head. I find it more unique, interesting, and a better process for talking about what it means to be human — to be alive. Over the years, you have shifted from making work that was thoroughly planned out in every scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Craig Stover Land Imaginary Botanicals, 2004 Oil on canvas 52” x 60”
detail to slowly morphing into a technique whereby you do not know what the final image will be. How do you consider the role of chance and randomness playing within your creative process? In particular, how important is intuition for you? Craig Stover: Intuition is a great tool, but it’s not the only one working at the time of creation. I try not to think of one technique as superior to another but just as tools for ways of expressing myself depending on what it is I have to say. I may scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Special Edition Minotaur, 2012 Oil on canvas 58” x 60”
use intuition in parts of my pictures but there may be other parts that are completely planned out. It’s the combination of both techniques that interests me. I’ve seen a gradual rise in the use of chance and randomness in the arts over the last decade with a number of artists who only use these methods, often letting paint and its attributes be the entire reason for the artwork. Although it can yield interesting results, I find it quite boring if that’s all that’s being said. Personally, I am attracted to artworks that are challenging, don’t easily reveal all they have to say, contain secrets, and give me more questions than answers. My shift from planning to a more intuitive method slowly evolved over time but it never became one or another. It would not suprise me if I eventually shift back to fully planned images, if my ideas take me in that direction. You are an established artist and your works have been exhibited in many occasions, including your solo Sentinels at the Alber Gallery in Philadelphia: how do you consider the nature of your relationship with your audience? As the move of Art from traditional gallery spaces, to street, and especially to online platforms — as Instagram — increases, how would in your opinion change the relationship with a globalised audience? Craig Stover: My relationship with my audiences is imperative and allows my art to exist. They are paramount and yet I find them elusive and shifting. Audiences are living, breathing entities that are in constant flux and so the relationship to them is complex. As a painter, I’m not only thinking about these relationships, I’m also aware that my most receptive audiences may not yet even exhist. As for the new addition of a global engagement with audiences through technology (of which I’ve happily gained new audiences particularly using Instagram – www.instagram.com/stover_studio), it very welcome. I think technology benefits all artists (past and future). Giving art increased exposure, even if just a facsimile, is better than none. That being said, this global audience does not necessarily translate as real support. It simply means the art is out there being seen and enjoyed. As much as technology gives artists new ways of sharing their work to larger audiences, I believe that it’s still a face to face conversation with the art and artist that is the most valuable. We have really appreciated the multifaceted nature of your artistic research and before leaving this stimulating conversation we would like to thank you for chatting with us and for sharing your thoughts, Craig. What projects are you currently working on, and what are some of the ideas that you hope to explore in the future? Craig Stover: It’s been a pleasure to talk to you. Thank you very much for this opportunity to speak to your audiences about my work. I’m still working on the Sentinels series currently and hope to continue evolving them in both size and materials. Additionally, I continue to make sculptures that directly relate to these abstracted figures and would love to find a way to make them larger. As for the future, that’s always a tough question to ask because I’m never sure what will inspire me in the future. I’d love to be in a place where I could create the works I’ve had to delay and am still searching for the right partners who can help me realize my dreams. Regardless, I know that whatever I do, I’ll always continue to paint. Craig Stover scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land An interview by Josh Ryder, curator and Melissa C. Hilborn, curator [email protected]
Hello Konstantinos and welcome to LandEscape. Before starting to elaborate about your artistic production and we would like to invite our readers to visit https://kostas-spiropoulos.com in order to get a wide idea about your artistic production, and we would start this interview with a couple of questions about your background. You have a solid formal training and you studied Painting and the Herron Art Institute of the University of Indiana U.S.A.: how do these formative years influence your evolution as an artist? Moreover, how does your cultural substratum due to studies of Medicine address the direction of your current artistic research? Konstantinos Spiropoulos: With your question Newton comes to mind, the founder of modern physics. He said: "I was like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me." Indeed the course has no end. Therein lies its charm, because it tries to find the truth hidden in the folds of the world, in the gap between the stars. All studies in both Art and Science are not enough to reveal the truth. But they can show the painful path that leads to a My long journey of painting began with the depiction of the landscape of the open space using materials of Byzantine hagiography in an attempt to synthesize the past with the present urban space. For me, the urban landscape suggests an articulated statement of culture but also communication within a field where I can negotiate and reconsider individual freedom, because I believe that the way human communication is conducted, is a relief image and measure of the culture of people and societies. The expressionist and surreal elements are evident in my painting which has been influenced by pop culture, figuration Libre and graffiti, in my attempt to present a diverse and direct reflection of modern society. My visual writing often uses the human figure and the form of objet trouve and connects it with figurative elements of the street and the ephemeral. Through floating symbols, letters and words I become a signal painter wanting to lead the viewer to the general interpretation environment and propose a new interpretation. Many times with the vehicle of discreet and creative humor I touch on vital issues such as the city limits that threaten the natural landscape, the violence on the streets, the aesthetics of television and the media. A new condition of things is produced by reading my works. I studied Medicine at the University of Athens. I studied painting at the Herron Art Institute of the University of Indiana U.S.A.. I became a professorof Medicine at the University of Patras, Greece and a professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts,at the University of Ioannina (2000- 2008)Greece. I have held over 100 solo and group exhibitions in Greece but mainly in European countries and United States. An interview by Josh Ryder, curator and Melissa C. Hilborn, curator [email protected] Land scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW LandEscape meets Konstantinos Spiropoulos
rebirth to a better man in a better world. The body of works that we have selected for this special edition of LandEscape —and that our readers have already started to get to know in the introductory pages of this article — has at once captured our attention for the way it blends the real with the imagined, inviting the viewers to elaborate personal interpretations highlights the connection between aesthetics scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Special Edition The Energy Of Universe Acrylics On Canvas 120 X 120
and the act of looking. When walking our readers through your usual setup and process, would you tell us how important is intuition in your creative process? Konstantinos Spiropoulos: Painting is Art and Art is communication and communication and cooperation of people gave birth to civilization. The tools of expression through painting are Elaine Crowe scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land The Green Energy Is Love Acrylics On Canvas 100 X 100 Cm
drawing and colour. With these the painter creates his own fiction with which he gives his versions of the world. In my painting the real coexists with the imaginary, because I know that the myth is born at the same time as the fact lays in front of us. Imagination precedes thought and beguiles reason, opening new paths, new versions. If my work generates many scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Special Edition Opposite Actions 60 x 100cm acrylics on canvas
interpretations then I am content, because its observers consider it worthy. It is a common belief that the more versions of interpretation a work of art creates, the more worthy it is. We definitely love the way your works create visual links to history and reality, unveiling the connection ancient cultural heritage — as in the interesting THE TROUPE — and references Konstantinos Spiropoulos scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land
to seriality in popular culture. Your long journey of painting began with the depiction of the landscape of the open space using materials of Byzantine hagiography in an attempt to synthesize the past with the present urban space: how do you consider the relationship between Past and Present playing within your artistic research? In particular, do you aim to create a bridge between Tradition and Contemporariness? Konstantinos Spiropoulos: It is a fact that today comes from yesterday and the future will emerge as a result of those things that are happening now. The retrospective view of history also determines how we interpret the present. In this present, the protagonists are everyday people. Those who stand at the corners of history and often transform themselves into heroes, into leaders, into great scientists, into admirable artists. With all due respect, I believe that a great deal of Western civilization has its roots in Ancient Greece. Byzantine art retains the strong contours of redpainted urban vases and Ancient Greek painting. Within these contours, light comes from everywhere. There is only light, there is no shadow. That is why I applied the principles of Byzantine iconography to create a new version of Greek landscape painting by bringing out the abundant light of the Greek countryside. My visual style did not remain there. I became involved with the urban landscape, because I consider urban space as a stated expression of culture, as a cultural identity. This is how the bridge between tradition and urban fiction was built. We have appreciated the essential and at the same time thoughtful nuances that marks out your artworks. How does your own psychological make-up determine the nuances of tones that you decide to include in your artworks? scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Special Edition
Elaine Crowe scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Common Human Effort Under The Sun
scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Special Edition Konstantinos Spiropoulos: The vocabulary of painting, as I have already mentioned, consists of colour and drawing. Of course, the nuances of colours are indicative of mental states and emotions that determine and are determined by aesthetics, which is a spontaneous process without benefit or purpose. But when there is aesthetic fulfilment, spontaneous pleasure results. We definitely love the way your works blend the real with the abstract. Scottish painter The Rize Of Colors Acrylics On Canvas 100 X 100
Peter Doig once remarked that even the most realistic paintings are derived more from within the head than from what's out there in front of us, how do you consider the relationship between reality and imagination, playing within your artistic production? Konstantinos Spiropoulos: As I mentioned before, myth is the twin brother of fact, they are born together. Two different people of different cultures will describe the same event differently. In the same way, painters describe, represent the same object according to their Konstantinos Spiropoulos scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land The Troupe
own personal perspective, each in their own way. In this process a decisive role is played by the imagination, as has been mentioned, based on memory and earlier logical associations. Through such sapiently evocative and symbolically charged images, that encompasses symbols, letters and words your works establishe direct relations with the viewers on the emotional and intellectual aspect. How would you consider the role of symbols — more especially references to fragments from human scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Special Edition The Majestry Of Feminity 60 X 80 Acrylics On Canvas
body — playing within your artistic process, in order to create such powerful allegories? Konstantinos Spiropoulos: Artists always influence stories through the paths they take. The common example is the narration of the history of Christianity during the Renaissance. The great painters revealed in their compositions the birth, life and death of Christ on the cross. When we refer to these events today, the Konstantinos Spiropoulos scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land A Walk, 100 x 100 cm acrilycs on canvas
images that come to mind come from the paintings of the great painters Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Caravaggio, Raphael and others. In artistic creation, reality feeds the imagination and imagination largely shapes reality. Your artistic production — more specifically THE ENERGY OF UNIVERSE and THE GREEN ENERGY IS LOVE — is engaged with social commentary and topical issues as environmental awareness, violence in the streets, the aesthetics of television and the media. Many contemporary artists, such as Thomas Hirschhorn and Michael Light, use to include socio-political criticism and sometimes scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Special Edition Two Afrodites One Civilization Acrylic On Canvas, 70 X 80
even convey explicit messages in their artworks: do you think that artists can raise awareness to an evergrowing audience on topical issues as that affect our everchanging society? And how do you consider the role of artists in the contemporary age? Konstantinos Spiropoulos: One of the basic problems of man is that he cannot obtain the energy he needs for his biological processes directly from the sun. Therefore, he must "own" areas of land with animals and plants which he can eat to obtain the corresponding energy. scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Konstantinos Spiropoulos Land Peace reliew on green energy 100 x 120 cm acrylics on canvas
This is how the sense of ownership and contention over it was created. This is exactly why the history of man is not bright. Furthermore, the fuels that we use to produce energy to this day destroy the environment on the one hand, but also make societies and peoples dependent on the countries that produce the fuels. Usually, to date, the regimes scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Special Edition The allegory of a myth, acrylics on canvas
of these producer countries have been authoritarian, with the result that peace, freedom and democracy have been significantly disrupted. I believe that the development of green energy will protect the planet and promote peace, freedom and democracy. Konstantinos Spiropoulos scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land An interview by Josh Ryder, curator and Melissa C. Hilborn, curator [email protected] Green energy promotes peace 120 x 120 cm acrylics on canvas
Hello Dragan and welcome to LandEscape. Before starting to elaborate about your artistic production and we would like to start this interview with a couple of questions about your background. Are there any experiences that did particularly influence your evolution as an artist? Moreover, how does your cultural substratum address the direction of your current artistic research? Dragan Gelev: First of all, I thank you for our cooperation (conversation) conveyed through words. I am Dragan Gelev from Macedonia, and I have been living in Basel, Switzerland, for 16 years. Therefore I’m a man with two homes are two states. I was born in Shtip, one of the largest cities in Macedonia and a city with a huge culture and tradition in our country. A city where a huge number of Macedonian poets, writers, scientists, artists were born. A city full of special and beautiful energy and wonderful skyline of architecture dating from the Roman period all way to modern times. Maybe the whole mosaic of the environment in which I grew up, leaves a great impact to me and it gave birth to a love of art and the variety of colours. Macedonia is a country, and especially the place where I was born, a unique blend of different cultures that have dragged through the time on this area, and each left its huge mark, but also managed to intertwine with each other and make it as a one whole mix that I personally think has more of its beauty side then negative connotation. Certainly, one of the biggest reasons for me to find love towards art itself is from several Macedonian as well as Worldwide famous painters whose work and works in my early childhood aroused some curiosity in me and were a testament to finding my philosophy of life (art.) The body of works that we have selected for this special edition of LandEscape —and that our readers have already started to get to know in the introductory pages of this article — has at once captured our attention for the way it urges the viewers to snatch hidden details from reality, driving the viewers through such unique visual experience, An interview by Josh Ryder, curator and Melissa C. Hilborn, curator [email protected] Land scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW LandEscape meets Dragan Gelev Lives and works in Basel, Switzerland
halfway from the ordinary and the dreamlike dimension. When walking our readers through the genesis of your recent works, would you tell us something about your usual setup and process? Dragan Gelev: Each work has its own hidden message or theme, perhaps a motive, and I am really pleased to hear that the viewer still clearly recognizes what is the message or what the author painted. My paintings seek their place in the world of expressionism, an artistic style that is my favourite. Personally, I have always been fascinated by the fact that in that chaos you manage to find the perfect solution, or in the explosion of colour logic and harmony with every stroke of the brush that the author himself drew. Every now and then I wanted works that would make you watch and observe them for hours, looking for the message or following the emotional line that the author followed while creating the work. I want to research because I honestly think that this is the safest way to develop yourself in what you do. I don't have the usual process of working or creating artwork. Sometimes it happens that I delete what I drew that day and start from the beginning, and sometimes you create an artwork that you like in an instance. I create my works first and most often for the longest time in my thoughts, but not every time I manage to transfer what I have imagined on the canvas, because it happens Dragan Gelev scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land
very often that the artwork itself to take you to the opposite creative moment and direction and in the end to also looks nice, to hold particular beauty and message within. Your artworks are meticolously refinished, and you seem to pay a particular attention to details. An recurrent aspect of your works is the rigorous sense of geometry and balance: scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Special Edition
Dragan Gelev scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land
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Dragan Gelev scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land do you create your works gesturally, instinctively? Or do you methodically transpose geometric schemes? Dragan Gelev: Many of my artworks are created instinctively driven by momentary emotion, the momentary view of life and the environment around me. But lately, it happens to me more and more that I come back to certain artworks that I thought were already
scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Special Edition finished and I signed, to continue working on them or to observe them within the given form of the motive that was previously drawn. Honestly, the geometry and precision of each move are not very important to me, but the articulation itself is very important to me as a witness to the current feelings. We have really appreciated the vibrancy of intense, bright tones that provides Spring and
Dragan Gelev scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land
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Beginning with strong energy: how do you select the tones that you decide to include in your artworks? Dragan Gelev: At the very moment of beginning of the journey and the creation of a single artwork, I do not know exactly which color I’ll be using, but the one that just comes into my vision in front of me and then everything just develops and unfolds with another. It is especially inspiring for me when I try to combine colors or shades that normally don’t go together but still in my artwork they are successfully blending and telling the real story behind it. Why do you focus on oil painting? Does it provide your process with something special? Dragan Gelev: I have been working with oil paints for the last year more intensively, but I worked earlier with acrylic, pastel, watercolours both on canvas and on paper or wood. The oil paints in particular make you work slower since they need more time to dry out, leaving you extra space and further developing the artwork itself. And many times, it turned out that the work is like everything in nature, so it needs time to mature and get the final character. We dare say that your artworks communicates a wide combination of sensation that include joy, sense of freedom, as well as need of meditation, as the extremely stimulating Waiting: how does Dragan Gelev scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land
your memories influence your work as an artist and in particular, how does your everyday life's experience fuel your artistic research? Dragan Gelev: From joy to sadness, from smiles to tears, but mostly freedom, freedom of expression, freedom of outlook on life, freedom of artistic expression. The scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Special Edition
environment in which you find yourself at a given moment also has a lot of influence in the creation and stimulates you to leave your opinion, comment, as a small trace of the present and these turbulent times in which we live, which in my case are expressed through the canvas and colours. I am sure that the artists did the same during the Renaissance, as well as those who create today. Some even then clashed down with that time and defied it, wanting through their works and art at least a little bit to break the prism and the view of a better world. We have appreciated the unique abstract quality of your works: how do you consider the relationship between reality and imagination, playing within your artistic production? Dragan Gelev: Personally, I think a lot and I can't answer myself or differentiate between some things, whether they belong to the imagination or reality. The world around us is still changing and in the directions that I personally do not like and do not constitute part of me. Today you are buying an apple that really looks delicious and when you try it you have to turn on your imagination to imagine the taste of the apple you once ate. But in art, as in this particular case related to me, I like the most when I’m able to turn the imagination and reality into something common that in the end gives a wellsynchronized whole. We definitely love the way your artworks walks the viewers to extract feelings and even narratives: how important is for you to trigger the viewers' imagination in order to address them to elaborate personal interpretations? In particular, how open would you like your works to be understood? Dragan Gelev: This is the essence of my works, so that the viewer relates to unique own story, to form his own view and how he scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Dragan Gelev Land
sees it. That is why art is beautiful, because the range of visibility is completely unlimited and different in each eye. I never suggest or impose on the viewers what they should see or what I see in the artwork. I leave it to them to find out for themselves, to find their perfection in my "chaos". Your works, as the interesting Face are often characterized by large dimensions, that provide the viewers with such immersive visual experience: how do the dimensions of your canvass affect your workflow? Dragan Gelev: Personally, I want the big canvases, on the one hand, they give me more freedom in expression and they emphasize the strength of each color, at least in the way I paint. I want a strong colour spectre, which when placed on a wall rings like a church bell that radiates and fills their eyes and spills over the ambience wherever it is. The work of the big canvases, of course, often requires a long creative period and a lot of work, and with that, of course, it leaves a special opportunity for creative development. For me, the work is a great pleasure, so I use every free moment to paint, and it happens many times all day, even throughout the night to paint and to spend them imperceptibly while painting. You are an established artist and over the years your works have been exhibited in many occasions: how do you consider the scape CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW Land Special Edition