Although not a household name for those who don’t have extensive knowledge of contemporary Greek art, Pavlos Dionysopoulos was an artist who created an artistic impact novel to Greece and the world. Born in Philatra in the Peloponnese he studied under Yiannis Moralis at the Athens School of Fine Arts before getting a scholarship to study in Paris, where he chose to finally create his base in the 1960s.
As of January and until the end of March, Roma Gallery in Kolonaki introduced and celebrated the very unique art of Pavlos to the Athenian public, presenting works imprinted with his very individual style of creating constructions and installations from thin strips of machine-cut posters. The three-dimensional, textural result of his works is both engaging and inspiring, providing different perspectives from different angles of viewing.
“I'm a person who does what he does without setting too many questions upon himself,” he once said, revealing that his inspiration and its fruit was more of a result of intuition rather than mental constructivism. Fascinatingly, his work has also been widely found to somehow manage to generate a particular ambiance, spacial imprint or emotion in the viewer.
Pavlos moved in circles where he came into contact with several great names of the Parisian and global art scene - such as Giacometti, Dubuffet, and Calder, while also developing a friendship with the legendary art critic Pierre Restany. He created during a period when artists were exploring Nouveau Realism, Pop Art and other means and although one can recognize those influences in his works it is also evident that the artist retained his own personal and singular vision throughout his career.
Luigi Carlucci wrote about the artist in Panorama magazine in 1978: “Pavlos can transform the New York phone book into a classical trophy. He opens it up at 360 degrees and moulds it, just as a potter does with clay.” In 1979 Vogue magazine published a fashion shoot with models posing next to Pavlos‘ sculptures, and in 1980 Greece dedicated its stand at the Biennale of Venice to the artist, while in 1985 Pavlos created an exhibition honouring the European Union Flags at the Pieridies Museum in Athens.
Roma Gallery chose to present Pavlos’ work for very particular reasons - it is their vision to showcase the best and most unique versions of Greek and global contemporary, post-war art. On their second floor is a private viewing room where visitors can see amazing works by acclaimed artists such as Fasianos, Kessanlis, Kaniaris, Gaitis and many more acclaimed Greek artists who like Pavlos, bridged culture between Greece and the rest of the world.
A: 5 Roma St, Kolonaki
