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- 10 - 19
Varvara Roza Galleries and The Blender Gallery are proud to present “Ideal Lines”, the first major UK solo exhibition by the renowned artist Ioannis Lassithiotakis. The exhibition will take place at Gallery 8, 8 Duke Street, St. James’s, Mayfair, from 2nd to 23rd October.
In his exhibition “Ideal Lines”, Ioannis Lassithiotakis presents mainly large-scale works, austere in their rendering and focused on the conceptual and aesthetic importance of monochrome surfaces on which a primordial, archetypal element of human expression is often inscribed: the line.
The works on show come in two series: in one the paint is spread on the surface in an abstract manner to produce pious monochromatic rites; the other series seems to be defined by drawing, with the outline sometimes surrounding the entire canvas or elsewhere, with large shapes of black and white coexisting in a harmonious yet enigmatic relationship with one another.
This new body of work reflects the quests of Ioannis Lassithiotakis on issues pertaining to human relations, death and absence, and also explore the very definition of art itself, presented in a mature way in terms of both content and aesthetic. His compositions, thoroughly researched and conceptually apt, have increasingly attracted the attention of international galleries and major Museums in Europe, and have gardnered extensive press coverage,
Ioannis Lassithiotakis aims for an abstract universality: he uses the simplest visual materials because he wants to broach the universal subjects he is dealing with, while addressing the widest possible audience.
Probably as an act of resistance to the dominant verbose culture that continuously attacks us with moving and spectacular images and information, the artist chooses to speak laconically, with austere means, with pictures that do not assault the eye and which, on first viewing, seem naked, static, but nevertheless involve dynamism and rich symbolism. Calling on the viewer us to regain the patience of observation and the ability to understand the simple relations between the basic building blocks of the world, at least in the ways that artistic creation tries to convey them, he defends the value and importance of the work of painting against the inflation of cheap and fast images.
Curatorial view by Dr. Haris Hatziioannou, Art Historian
An extract of a text written by Dr. Haris Hatziioannou for the exhibition catalogue:
In the abstract language used by Lassithiotakis the fundamental visual elements (point, line, plane, color) have a power to speak on their own. This language of course comes from a tradition that originates from Suprematism, Constructivism and Bauhaus and passes, closer to our age, through Minimalism and Conceptual Art. Knowledge of this tradition and of the contemporary languages of art helps, but this does not mean that the intake of the works depends exclusively on such knowledge. Non-expert viewers that are both eager and sensitive enough will certainly be able to ‘listen to’ and understand this language, discerning its main characteristics”
Ioannis Lassithiotakis born in 1956 in Crete, and studied in Italy at the Academy of Fine Arts, Florence. He has had over 33 solo exhibitions worldwide in international galleries and important museums worldwide and is the recipient of many international awards. Lassithiotakis has presented his work in solo exhibitions in Greece and abroad (Australia, Belgium, U.S.A., Japan, South Africa), counting most notably the 2nd Biennale of Young European Artists of the Mediterranean (Thessaloniki, 1986), the Osaka Triennial (Japan, 1996) and the 4th International Biennale of Sarjah (U.A.E., 1999), where he won the 2nd painting prize. A monograph on his oeuvre was published in 2007.
ABOUT VARVARA ROZA GALLERIES
Varvara Roza Galleries is an Executive Arts Gallery and Advisory Firm promoting Overseas Artists and Greece’s Brightest Artists Worldwide. Varvara Roza Galleries is committed to Cultural Leadership and is led by CEO Varvara Roza.
Varvara Roza is an art manager and advisor with a passion for bringing overseas and Greece’s brightest artists into the global art market. She has a track record of organizing cultural events on a large scale not only in Greece but also in London, Paris, Berlin, and the rest of Europe.
As a successful businesswoman in the energy industry and former politician in her home country of Greece, she always had a love for contemporary art, collecting for over 20 years. Varvara is passionately combining the two great loves in her life: her political and entrepreneurial life in Greece and London, with her enduring love for art and its evolution. In doing so, she has decided to strongly support and promote contemporary art in London - the centre of the art world which determines the art market to a great extent.
Her personal goal is to promote contemporary artists and help them gain international recognition for their inspiring work. Varvara works hard strategically on creating an investment for the artists as well as the clients that she decides to work and collaborate with. She specializes in contemporary art by established and emerging international artists, and she is determined to feature a multitude of artistic disciplines with an intent focus on exceptional talent, diversity and cultural relevance. Furthermore, she is dedicated to supporting rare talent and making their work globally accessible. She works hard to ensure the highest level of excellence and integrity through her work across Europe.
Email: info@varvararozagalleries.com
IG: @varvararozagalleries
http://www.varvararozagalleries.com/
ABOUT JASON THEOPHANIDIS:
Jason Theophanidis, a bilingual British/Greek entrepreneur living in Athens Greece, is the owner and Managing Director of The Blender Gallery, based in Athens Riviera. With a background in 2D design,Theophandis worked as an artist, exhibiting in London and Athens, which gave him a unique insight into the needs and requirements of artists and collectors alike. Having truly lived both sides of the industry, and with a deep passion for art, he soon realised that he could do so much more for the industry by helping and managing other artists, which led to him opening The Blender Gallery. Since 2012 he has been working with his team to promote upcoming artists in Greece and abroad, as well as giving established artists a modern space in which to showcase their artwork. Because of his Greek-British heritage and a wanderlust that saw him travel the world, he has managed to bring a multitude of new ideas and concepts to ‘The Blender Gallery’ that set it apart from other galleries in Greece.
The Blender Gallery is a 400 m2 state of the art modern gallery, constantly evolving and situated in Southern Athens. Jason specifically designed the gallery to be incredibly versatile to meet all artist requirements. The concept for The Blender Gallery was born when Jason was working as a graphic designer and artist in a space shared with other creative individuals that they affectionately referred to as ‘the Blender’, due to their different disciplines. Jason believes that all creative forms of expression are art forms, and this concept remains strong within the ethos of the gallery today, establishing ‘The Blender Gallery’ as one of the leading galleries in Athens.
Varvara Roza Galleries, Gallery 8, 8 Duke Street St. James's, London SW1Y 6BN.
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