Hollis Taggart Announces First NYC Solo Show for Alexandros Vasmoulakis
- NEW YORK, New York
- /
- October 20, 2022
October 20, 2022 – Hollis Taggart is pleased to announce the Greek artist Alexandros Vasmoulakis’ first solo show in NYC. Featuring new work created this year as well as site-specific wallpaper installations, Journeys is also Vasmoulakis’ first solo show with Hollis Taggart since joining the gallery’s roster in 2020. Vasmoulakis’ canvases are kaleidoscopic explorations of Mediterranean color that contain various influences ranging from spiritual art to mandala and the imagery of psychedelic and rave subcultures. Journeys will be on view from November 17 through December 29, 2022, with an opening reception on Thursday, November 17, from 5-8PM. Vasmoulakis’ vision and work are grounded in his Greek background, and specifically the visual tensions between the ancient and the contemporary present in his hometown of Athens. Considering the aesthetics of ruins as well as graffiti, the artist explores the beauty that can result from destruction, a central tenant in his practice. Inspired by influences ranging from Abstract Expressionism to botanical art, Vasmoulakis draws on these different movements and genres to produce dizzying canvases that, while entirely abstract, sometimes offer hints of organic forms. Within the kaleidoscope of color and pattern, the viewer may find the suggestion of a flower, the sun, the sea, or perhaps of a microscopic organism.
The splashes of color and hints of form in Vasmoulakis’ compositions are enhanced by the depth created by his signature layering technique. Using a high-pressure water cleaner – the same kind used to clean graffiti from buildings – the artist carves into his paintings, resulting in complex surfaces that create enigmatic depths. Vasmoulakis’ approach is spontaneous: he does not use a sketch or a plan and allows himself to be carried by the rhythm of his motions and the layers that are revealed as he excavates his canvases. In the words of anthropologist Rafael Schachter, who wrote the catalogue essay for the exhibition, Vasmoulakis is interested in “an artistic process in which creation and destruction go hand in hand and in which conscious control is surrendered.”
Vasmoulakis’ meditative process and reliance on intuitive flow imbues his paintings with a spirituality that is enhanced by his use of homemade crayons, which he makes using the remnants of beeswax votive candles gathered from monasteries throughout the world. The artist creates nearly all of his works using these recycled candles, which he melts and mixes with linseed oils and pigments. Blending a range of techniques including painting, wallpapering, collage, and installation, Vasmoulakis’ practice and the resulting works engage with the notion of transcendental and invite the viewer to engage with their depths.
Vasmoulakis’ work was shown in three group exhibitions at Hollis Taggart: Reunion (Southport, 2021), Perceived Realities (NYC, 2020) and Remix (Southport, 2020). Recent solo exhibitions include the Afterparty at Eins Gallery in Limassol, Cyprus (2020), Mind Mischief (2017) and The Eaters and The Eaten (2016) at The Breeder Gallery in Athens, My eyes are seeing you at Art Expertise in Athens (2014), and Figures at Le Basse Projects in Los Angeles (2013). His work has also been included in a wide range of group exhibitions, including at Fondation Cartier (Paris), Antikenmuseum (Basel), Benaki Museum (Athens), and Bozar (Brussels), among others. Vasmoulakis was born in 1980 and lives and works in Athens, Greece.
Contact:
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About Hollis Taggart
Hollis Taggart—formerly known as Hollis Taggart Galleries—was founded in 1979, with a mission to present museum-quality works of art, maintain a program motivated by scholarship, and offer personalized support in all aspects of art collecting. For nearly 40 years, the gallery has offered significant works of American art—showcasing the trajectory of American art movements from the Hudson River School to American Modernism and Post-War and Contemporary eras—and curated countless critically acclaimed shows in collaboration with the foremost leaders in the field. Hollis Taggart has also worked with more than thirty museums and institutions to produce scholarly catalogues. In addition, Hollis Taggart has sponsored three catalogue raisonné projects. The first was the two-volume catalogue raisonné of Pennsylvania Impressionist Daniel Garber, which was published in 2006 and includes over 1,500 entries. In 2000, the gallery launched the Frederick Carl Frieseke catalogue raisonné, which is currently being compiled by the artist’s grandson. Most recently, the gallery has undertaken the compilation of the catalogue raisonné of Surrealist artist Kay Sage, in partnership with Mark Kelman and Sage scholar Stephen Robeson Miller. In the summer of 2015, Hollis Taggart opened its first space in Chelsea, moving from the Upper East Side where it had been operating since its inception. In fall 2018, Hollis Taggart will move to the street-level space at 521 W. 26th Street and open a private viewing and storage annex across the street, fully consolidating its operations in Chelsea. Together, the spaces provide Hollis Taggart with nearly 4,000-square-feet to host exhibitions and engage clients with select works of art in its inventory, while improving ease of access between its locations. Today, the gallery’s program has grown to encompass contemporary practitioners, as a vital component to art historical discourse. It also continues to show significant works of historic American art, with a particular focus on the Post-War era. These two intersecting threads offer Hollis Taggart’s audiences and clients a dynamic and diverse set of offerings. As the gallery looks to the future, fostering scholarship and dialogue on American art through time remains core to its work with artists, scholars, and curators. In addition to its public program, the gallery also advises private collectors, corporations, and museums on acquisitions and assists its clients in the development of their personal collections. Hollis Taggart welcomes all inquiries from collectors who may wish to sell or consign works of art or estates. The gallery can also provide appraisal services.
