Artia Gallery

Description

The upcoming visual artist, Thanos Panagiotou, “induces” a psychedelic experience in his paintings where Tantric unities unfold in an unearthly cosmic universe. Hybrid robots and biomorphic creatures sexually engage with anthropomorphic figures of fluid mass in these complex compositions. The outcome has very little in line with the current Greek visual art movements. It is an unexpected, exciting and deeply underground (whatever this means today) work. According to the artist, different painting techniques are used on the same surface giving multiple layers coming from a bizarre reality, using either a more painterly or linear approach.

Despite the work’s inspiration from the psychedelic art of the 60’s, space art of the 70’s and more far out versions of current Outsider Art, Thanos Panagiotou refrains from using all the accompanied stereotypes of these movements. After the turbulent iconoclastic years of modernism many attempts were made to bring painting and imagery in the spotlight again. This venture worked by employing aspects from pop art, comics and mass culture or using the town’s walls as a canvas. Nonetheless the result has not always been that captivating not to mention innovative. Thanos Panagiotou follows a radical path which poses challenges and risks constituting an important step in an artist’s career. He is indeed a promising new artist. This exciting voyage has certainly got many things in store for the future.

Art historian
Thanassis Moutsopoulos

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