Theo Stavropoulos: Offerings of Light
"Offerings of Light" a memorial exhibition of the paintings and studies of Theo Stavropoulos is being hosted by myself and the Lehman College Art Gallery in Bronx, NY where the artist taught for 25 years. The exhibition will run from September 3 - 26th. For further information and the artist's biography, here is the link to the press release: http://www.lehman.cuny.edu/vpadvance/artgallery/gallery/
Update: Here is a link to a review by Xico Greenwald for the New York Sun:
http://www.nysun.com/arts/artists-calling/88398/
“A painter paints because he has no time not to paint.” ~ Josef Albers
"For Dominique", 2001, acrylic on canvas.* Photo by Eduardo Duarte.
This exhibition is presented in
mostly chronological form, spanning nearly five decades of the artist’s work. While Theo’s earliest paintings
evoked a more gentle homage to classicism in contemporary form, works produced in mid-life saw an emergence of
bolder abstraction, many of his canvases containing an unearthly emission of
light. The evolution of Theo’s abstracted figures (both in his paintings and
countless notebook studies) are an integral part of this exhibit. They have taken on many forms; some lyrical
and some unapologetically uncomfortable and have been the artist’s constant companions
for the last two decades of his life.
Works produced by the artist in his last decade revisited former experimentations with undulating inanimate forms, organic imagery such
as in the floral themes, fragmentation of light and finally, his decision to
embrace a bolder use of color.
Untitled, c. 2000 - 2006, acrylic on canvas.* Photo by Pat Genova.
Theo’s evolution as an artist encompassed constant rediscovery and experimentation combined with the revisitation of aspects of his early artwork. From his earliest known works containing warm tones and classical elements that reflected his cultural heritage, to seemingly otherworldly imagery in the form of inanimate and human-like apparitions, they are a visual testament to the artist’s personal journey through life.
Update: Here is a link to a review by Xico Greenwald for the New York Sun:
http://www.nysun.com/arts/artists-calling/88398/
Notes about the artist’s works:
Theo Stavropoulos, c. 1976.* |
After suffering an early introduction to the atrocities of
war, a foundation could have been set for a potentially dark existence. But early
on, art became Theo’s diary and the theme of inner light his personal
arsenal against the abyss of negativity until the end of his life. Theo, who
embraced a philosophy that no time barrier actually existed between the past
and present, felt that inner light was a pathway to that connection as well as one
to humanity.
A strong religious foundation, revisited later in his life,
and two significant mentors had the strongest influence on the evolution of
Theo’s work. His earliest mentor was his first art teacher in Greece: Giorgios
(Yorgos) Gounaropoulos, a surrealist painter and pioneer in the Greek
modern art movement in the 1930’s. His
works encompassed classical elements from antiquity and modernist thought
infused into light-flooded, dreamlike imagery gently abstracted
by “Gounaro”.
Theo Stavropoulos, Shield, 1976.* Photo by: Eduardo Duarte.
"Landscape" by G. Gounaro, 1935. |
Gounaro’s influence is apparent in Theo’s artwork; light
as a dominant tool in explaining the coexistence between past and present,
resulting in a subtle play between two dimensions.“A painter paints because he has no time not to paint.” ~ Josef Albers
Josef Albers, a pioneer from the Bauhaus school and father
of color perception, was another profound influence in Theo’s life and art. Besides being a father figure to Theo, the
tremendous impact of Albers’ philosophy, teachings and disciplines helped to
shape the body of his work and subsequent role of teacher.
Albers explored the relativity of color and its endless possibilities
within the format of simple geometric confines, the most notable example being
in his “Homage to the Square” series.
In Albers’ ground-breaking testament to
the magic of color, he focused on color as an infinite entity, not merely as a
tool used in defining objects. It was Albers'
mystical thought that profoundly affected the way Theo would ultimately
perceive the world without and within and then translate it on to his own
canvases. Theo typically only used a minimum palette of colors in his paintings
but was able to make a color appear that may not have started out on the canvas
to begin with. This was another example
of Albers’ influence.
Theo’s evolution as an artist encompassed constant rediscovery and experimentation combined with the revisitation of aspects of his early artwork. From his earliest known works containing warm tones and classical elements that reflected his cultural heritage, to seemingly otherworldly imagery in the form of inanimate and human-like apparitions, they are a visual testament to the artist’s personal journey through life.
Unititled, c. 1990 - 2005, acrylic on canvas.*
Unitled, 1991, wash and ink on paper.* Photo by Pat Genova.
~ Dominique
Stavropoulos-Williams
This exhibiton is sponsored by Dominique Stavropoulos and curated by Professor Pat Genova, BMCC, CUNY. Special thanks to Flavia Bacarella, Susan Hoeltzel, Susan B. Stavropoulos, Claudio P. Williams and Amei Wallach, Art Critic and Filmmaker and last but not least, the Lehman College Art Gallery.
~Edited by Kristi Saare Duarte.
*Rights for reproduction remain with Dominique Stavropoulos Williams.
www.theostavropoulosart.com (currently under construction)
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