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CHROMATIC STATES
Featuring works by American artists Todd Lowery, Jim Kraus and Prudence Horne
November 11 - December 28th
CHROMATIC STATES documents and reveals the unique experiences of three artists and their creations, which were produced in Greece over the past six months.
The title for the exhibition draws upon the idea that light (diffused, reflected or refracted) can be conveyed in as many colors as there are sensory perspectives and myriad individual experiences. The exhibition further explores “states” of being as something distinct from the condition of political states as they are drawn or defined by colors or conditions such as red, blue, orange, or green. The artists have deviated from these anachronisms, drawing upon their personal memory and the manner in which this vibrates with Greek society. Their work is symbolic, demonstrating how they have chosen to connect and vibrate with contemporary Hellenic culture through a process of personal transformation and reinvention.
Chromatic States celebrates sustained and ongoing collaboration and exchanges between Phoenix Athens and artists from the US, Greece and internationally.
Painter and professor at Drury University, Todd Lowery has produced a new series of paintings (made in the US, Greece and Israel) which revise and redefine the notions of identity and place through new spatial schematics ing geometry, architectural perspective and color composition.
An avowed Philhellene, Lowery’s practice references Guy de Bord’s notion of the “dérive,” and his own approach to combating the malaise and boredom of society of the spectacle, in this case through the act of painting.
His new work is informed by a heightened awareness of chaos and order, as well as his enduring a love and admiration for both classical and contemporary Greek culture.
For more about Todd Lowery, please refer to: : http://toddlowery.com/
The artwork of Jim Kraus, is marked by the theme of the voyage (Kraus moved to Mexico five years ago), and his reverence for the inherent beauty of natural forms in the landscape.
His new paintings are inspired by the lush beauty of the Ionian region, and the more discrete charm to be found in central Athens. This new series of works marks his return to painting after many challenges that he faced.
The resourcefulness and DIY quality of the Greek community of Exarchia further inspired a "revival" series of sculptures that Kraus made from found objects that salvaged from the streets of Exarchia. These spare, yet carefully composed works explore antiquity and preservation, while examining with the great sensitivity, more nuanced concepts of beauty and lasting value.
The small, brightly colored works of Prudence Horne reflect an interwoven sense of discovery and contemplation. The juxtaposed layering of landscapes, sea and motifs drawn from classical Greek art, suggest a narrative-that is critical of human naiveté.
The works were created during her stay at the Villa Exarchia Residency, where she has re-explored Athens for the first time since her college years.