Nectarios Stamatopoulos presents at follow your art gallery in Kapsali, Kythera, a paintings and drawings exhibition entitled “Balcony view”. A body of work of the last four years, that is defined by the search of themes and inspiration in the natural environment, by strong colours and by the creation of landscapes not as a topographic study, but as direct response to state of mind and emotions.
These paintings and drawings capture the artist’s view from an imaginary balcony, an idea that was born from a shift towards inwardness and the necessity of perceiving images with an abstract yet deeper look. Consequently, these works do not revolve around depicting faces, landscapes or elements, as did his previous work, but focus one a more generic picture of reality. The period of the pandemic and confinement, where we all observed the world from a balcony or through a screen- in isolation, has played a key role.
This isolation and the need to find new prospects, led the artist to an inner search and the need for deeper connection with the natural environment. And despite if he was working at the urban balcony of his atelier in Kypseli, or at the balcony of a house in Pelion with the view of Pagasitikos or at his favourite balconies of Kythera, the imagery he was seeking for and emerged was the same.
Furthermore, the title “Balcony view” refers to a strategic thinking and decision-making in situations of action or emergency – such as many of which we experience the last few years – and wants to highlight the importance of distancing oneself from the actual events to gain clarity and better reaction.
With his brushstroke and a palette of sometimes vivid, like Les Nabis, and sometimes darker and melancholic tones, the artist builds an ideal, almost supernatural world by moving the thrill from the urban to the natural landscape. These compositions invite us to see the world from another perspective and find balance and harmony in a world that is constantly changing. At the same time, they offer the viewer an opportunity to slow time and look into the essence of things.
With this exhibition, the artist seeks to share his point of view and invites the audience to participate in an experience: to stand on the balcony, take distance and see the world with fresh eyes, getting the inspiration and tranquility that nature and the view from above have to offer.
It is a reminder that even in difficult times, there is always the possibility to notice a different world in our surroundings, one that invites but also challenges us to get to know it and (re)discover it.
Elisabeth Bargue
PhD in Art History (Université de Paris 1 - Panthéon Sorbonne) - Museologist (Ecole du Louvre, Paris)
