EN | FR | GR

30.01.2009

INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE

Margarita Pournara
From land to sea in burst of color

It is an attack of light. Colors that at times complement each other while at other moments seem to be at war with each other, all coexist on the same canvas. Landscapes, greenery, bodies and waves are formed by sweeping strokes of the brush.

The viewer cannot ignore artist George Hadoulis's paintings. On the contrary, the vivid images are captivating.

In his solo exhibition titled «Private View,» and currently on display at the Skoufa Gallery, he presents a personal study. The themes are familiar and focus on outdoor spaces, people and faces. «In order to understand something, I have to paint it first. That is how I have always felt and that is possibly what urged me, at 16, to decide to become an artist. I spent an entire summer at home, painting nonstop,» he told Kathimerini.

The artist's back is portrayed on the cover of the exhibition catalog. He is seen wearing his paint-covered work apron and busy in action. «My motivation to start a painting is to use colors. The subject is just an excuse. My way of working is as if I were doing abstract painting. I always have an initial image in my mind, but right after the first brush stroke everything is transformed. It is as if I know what I want to do, but I realize it gradually. The procedure helps me a lot and steers me.»

With a London-born father whose family hailed from Andros and a French mother, Hadoulis studied in Paris but his experiences have a strong Greek tinge. He paints from memory. His art is not fleeting, although it might appear that the artist is pursuing that feeling.

«I want to capture a feeling. Before, my colors used to be more uniform. Now I work with blots, so my shapes seem to dissolve inside the canvas. If you see them from a distance, then it all becomes crystallized.»

«I chose this title for my exhibition because it interests me to see how different people see the same subject. It is interesting how each one of us perceives differently something that is right in front of us, how a public view becomes private through the language of painting,» he said.

Born in 1966, the artist has never put the brush down during his entire career. «Painting is interesting, because there is an economy to it. I could have resorted to other means, but I chose its simplicity. It is as simple as walking and just as body-related. I want to be able to do it alone anywhere. There are no restrictive conditions in painting. You don't need collaborations or even electricity. All of that moves me.»

George Hadoulis's exhibition will run to February 8. Skoufa Gallery, 4 Skoufa,
tel 210.364.3025.


 
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