Page 54 - Studio International - November 1967

Modern or experimental art in Greece, always a women who can contrive to be housewives and
ATHENS feeble offspring, has been further weakened by the artists at the same time. To escape economic
commentary by military coup. There has never been anything like pressures, ignorance and neglect, and in general
a modern movement in the country. The art the dampening provincial atmosphere, aspiring
Robert Lockwood
schools are backward and until fairly recently no Greek artists have had to go abroad. In the past
viable commercial galleries existed. The biannual Paris was the main magnet—the colony is still
Phil-Hellenion exhibitions in the Zappion Gardens large there—Takis, Prassinos, Calliyannis, Cal-
in Athens are depressing panoramas of medio- outsis (who exhibits regularly at the REDFERN
crity. The serious, able, ambitious artist in Greece GALLERY in London) and others less known in
has always had a struggle. With few marginal Britain. London too, to a lesser degree—Ghika and
jobs open to him, such as teaching, he has only Georgiadis, the distinguished stage designer and
been able to survive with a personal income, or the painter, are the most prominent.
backing of his family; a few are architects or In recent years it looked as though this drift
journalists; others I know work as bank clerks, might be stemmed; with four active commercial
office workers and salesmen. It is easier for married galleries in Athens, two in Salonika, and seasonal
shows in the summer tourist spots, local artists saw
promise of local interest. Even so, very few Greek
collectors emerged. As in London or Paris, it was
Left the visiting Americans who bought modern art, and
Niki Kanaginis at their rate of exchange at bargain prices. But
Blues in relation to oranges whatever the nationality of the buyers, for the first
1964 (detail)
time exhibitions were held regularly, some even
tapestry
commercially successful.
Other encouraging signs were the publication of
Below
two art journals (both since deceased) and the still
Sosso Houtopoulou
surviving architectural magazine Architectoniki.
Sculpture 1963
Then, at last, funds were made available for build-
welded steel sheet
ings for the first National Art Gallery in the
country. There is no public building for modern
Below right
Yannis Spyropolous —by which I mean not classical or Byzantine—
Logos C 1965 painting and sculpture. A collection exists, in
oil on canvas vaults, presided over by the curator Manolis
51 x 38 in. Calligas, and selections are shown from time to
time. It contains, as far as I know, no major
European works, and even the 20th century Greek
section has been chosen with over-conservative
discretion. For years successive Governments