Giorgos Tougias (invoking and recalling subtraction)

“Works of abstractive painting create reductions without strict cultural formations, creating images in fluidity and gradually cancelling the rationalised perspective. Thus, “episodes” of spiritual awakening occur, which are caused by an exceptionally nuclear, even primitive, calling. Incomprehensible whispers “invoking the gods” (Thucydides, History 7.71.3) transform into phonetic images, which are produced using colours with painting as a base, delivering art to untamed fingers, like erratic writing. A type of painting similar to addressing the divine, which resides deep inside, in an eternal effort to calm the inner restlessness, so as to provide an extension to moments of peace, as space expands into the endless, the incomplete. However, gradually, as though due to some need, the fullness of time arrives for images to take on dimensions. So the unformed is recalled for the sake of normalcy and structures are produced, either from the relationship of points, or because of the way in which they are juxtaposed. This new way is defined by principles and the person applying them becomes a constructor, a mason, and a creator.

Giorgos Tougias, in the 60s, created works that produce a unique and essential personal idiom of abstraction, the result of an inner expression, in the shape of the shape of an open invocation. Tougias then recalled this artistic practice, deciding to design his painting world according to architectural terms, critically and with a delicate irony. The works produced are strictly geometrical. They have clear outlines and their straight and narrow paths describe exactly the design event of absolute tranquility and stillness. In the 70s, during a period of intense experimentation regarding the relationship of the artist and his media, Tougias left behind the canvas, which meant “designing” the work directly in three-dimensional space.

Giorgos Tougias was without a doubt a pioneer, fully comprehending abstraction as a process of recalling and he remained a pioneer, as by recalling his artistic practices he served creation and not the avant-garde”. Nikos Mykoniatis, September 2018

Collaboration
Directorate of Vafopoulio & Cultural Foundations, Department of Vafopoulio Cultural Centre

Duration 17.10–31.12

Opening hours
Weekdays 08.00–20.00
Sat. 08.00-14.00