valavanidis by frissiras museum

photo : Ì. Ìðáìðïýóçò, 2004

ÂÁËÁÂÁÍÉÄÇÓ ÃÉÁÍÍÇÓ ÂÁËÁÂÁÍÉÄÇÓ | ÙÓ Å×ÏÕÍ : ÐÑÏÓÙÐÁ - ÐÑÁÃÌÁÔÁ - ×ÙÑÏÉ 1962-2005 | ÌÏÕÓÅÉÏ ÖÑÕÓÉÑÁ

ÊÔÉÓÌÁÔÁ | STRUCTURES 1967, Áêñõëéêü óå íïâïðÜí | Acrylic on novopan, 50x60cm ÉäéùôéêÞ óõëëïãÞ | Private collection

012 | H ÆÙÃÑÁÖÉÊÇ ÔÏÕ ÃÉÁÍÍÇ BÁËÁÂÁÍÉÄÇ

THE PAINTING OF YANNIS VALAVANIDIS

Máôáéüôçôåò

Futility

Óå ìéá óõíïìéëßá ìáò äçìïóéåõìÝíç ðñï äåêáåôßáò, ï ÃéÜííçò

In one of our discussions which was published ten years ago,

Báëáâáíßäçò äÞëùíå ôçí åîÞò èÝóç: "Ná åëÝã÷ù áêüìá êáé ôçí ðéï

Yannis Valavanidis stated his wish "to control the slightest

ìéêñÞ ðéíåëéÜ, ðáñüëï ðïõ îÝñù üôé åßíáé ìÜôáéï". AíáñùôéÝìáé,

brush stroke, although I know it is futile". I have often wondered

áðü ôüôå, êáôÜ ðüóï áõôÞ ç äéáôýðùóç åêöñÜæåé, ðáñáäåßãìáôïò

whether this phrase reflected the artist's modesty or a kind

÷Üñéí, ôç óåìíüôçôá ôïõ æùãñÜöïõ Þ Ýíá åßäïò áëáæïíåßáò. ¼ôáí

of conceit. When an artist consents to become an observer of

Ýíáò êáëëéôÝ÷íçò äÝ÷åôáé íá ãßíåé ðáñáôçñçôÞò ôïõ åáõôïý ôïõ êáé

himself and about the way he sees his work, we have to respect

íá ìéëÞóåé ãéá ôïí ôñüðï ðïõ âëÝðåé ôç äïõëåéÜ ôïõ, óåâüìáóôå

what he says but not necessarily to accept it as a final

áíáãêáóôéêÜ áõôÜ ðïõ ëÝåé, ôßðïôå üìùò äåí ìáò õðï÷ñåþíåé íá ôá

judgement, or even as genuine, reliable testimonies. To most

äå÷èïýìå åîáñ÷Þò ùò ôåëéêÝò êñßóåéò ïýôå êáí ùò áõèåíôéêÝò, äçëáäÞ

people the painter speaks primarily through his work, and it

áîéüðéóôåò, ìáñôõñßåò. Ãéá ôïí ðåñéóóüôåñï êüóìï, ï æùãñÜöïò ìéëÜåé

is only secondarily that he is allowed to speak about his work.

ðñùôßóôùò ìå ôï Ýñãï ôïõ êáé ìüíï äåõôåñåõüíôùò ôïõ åðéôñÝðåôáé

And if he does, he should know how secondary it is, and how

íá ìéëÞóåé ãéá ôï Ýñãï ôïõ. Ké áí ôï êÜíåé, ðñÝðåé íá îÝñåé êáëÜ

futile. As futile as his attempt to keep even the slightest brush

ðüóï äåõôåñåýïí åßíáé, êáé ðüóï ìÜôáéï. MÜôáéï óáí ôçí ðñïóðÜèåéÜ

stroke under control.

ôïõ íá åëÝã÷åé ôçí ðáñáìéêñÞ ðéíåëéÜ.

Aware of all this, I asked the painter to note down his own

Eí ãíþóåé ôùí áíùôÝñù, æÞôçóá áðü ôï æùãñÜöï íá óçìåéþóåé ãñáðôþò

thoughts about his work, simply in order to continue a futile

ôéò äéêÝò ôïõ óêÝøåéò ãéá ôç äïõëåéÜ ôïõ, áðëþò ãéá íá óõíå÷ßóïõìå

but interesting discussion which has been going on for years.

ìéá ìÜôáéç áëëÜ åíäéáöÝñïõóá óõæÞôçóç ðïõ êñáôÜåé ÷ñüíéá. Eêåßíïò

He accepted, obviously for the same reasons. So I duly received

ôï äÝ÷èçêå, ðñïöáíþò ãéá ôïõò ßäéïõò ëüãïõò. ¸ëáâá ëïéðüí Ýíá

five densely written pages full of information and remarks, just

ðõêíïãñáììÝíï óçìåßùìá ðÝíôå óåëßäùí, ãåìÜôï ðëçñïöïñßåò êáé

as I expected it: clear, careful, restrained, sincere yet hardly

ðáñáôçñÞóåéò, üðùò áêñéâþò ôï ðåñßìåíá: êáèáñü, ðñïóåêôéêü,

revealing. I shall not attempt to base my own views of Yannis's

óõãêñáôçìÝíï, åéëéêñéíÝò, áí êáé åëÜ÷éóôá åîïìïëïãçôéêü. Äåí èá

work on that text of his. More than just futile, it would be wrong.

åðé÷åéñÞóù íá óôçñßîù óå áõôü ôï êåßìåíï ôïõ ÃéÜííç ôéò äéêÝò ìïõ

Still, I do trust his sincerity and the convincing character of

áðüøåéò ãéá ôï êáëëéôå÷íéêü ôïõ Ýñãï. Èá Þôáí ü÷é ìüíï ìÜôáéï, áëëÜ

his testimony, and I shall not resist the temptation to quote

êáé ëÜèïò. Eìðéóôåýïìáé üìùò ôçí åéëéêñßíåéá êáé ôçí ðåéóôéêüôçôá

some excerpts - with his permission, of course. These phrases

ôçò ìáñôõñßáò ôïõ êáé äåí áíôéóôÝêïìáé óôïí ðåéñáóìü íá ðáñáèÝóù

certainly do not answer all questions or solve the problems of

ìåñéêÜ áðïóðÜóìáôá, öõóéêÜ ìå ôçí ÜäåéÜ ôïõ, öñÜóåéò ðïõ äåí

interpretation; on the contrary, they pose some new questions

áðáíôïýí ïðùóäÞðïôå óå üëåò ôéò áðïñßåò, äåí ëýíïõí åñìçíåõôéêÜ

of minor importance - at first sight, at least.

ðñïâëÞìáôá,

For instance, I was surprised by the unexpectedly emotional

áíôéèÝôùò,

äçìéïõñãïýí

ìéêñÜ

åñùôÞìáôá

äåõôåñåýïõóáò óçìáóßáò, ôïõëÜ÷éóôïí åê ðñþôçò üøåùò.

opening of his text:

Ãéá ðáñÜäåéãìá, ìïõ Ýêáíå åíôýðùóç ï áðñïóäüêçôá óõíáéóèçìáôéêüò

"I have always loved the depiction of reality in painting; a

ôüíïò óôï îåêßíçìá ôïõ êåéìÝíïõ:

reality which keeps slipping through your hands like water."

038 |

ÐÑÏÓÙÐÏ | FACE 1997, ÔÝìðåñá óå ÷áñôß | Tempera on paper, 43x58cm ÐÑÏÓÙÐÏ | FACE 1998, ÔÝìðåñá óå ÷áñôß | Tempera on paper, 43x34cm

052 |

072 |

ÅÑÃÁËÅÉÁ | TOOLS 1980, ÔÝìðåñá óå ÷áñôß | Tempera on paper, 35x25cm ÌÇ×ÁÍÇÌÁ | MACHINE 1989, ÓéíéêÞ ìåëÜíç óå ÷áñôß | Indian ink on paper, 29x39cm

084 |