Seeking or hiding, Mixed Media on Wood Panel, 2021

Asterios Lamprou  

One of the main reasons that led me to create this series of paintings is an Aesthetic theory, the "theory of reflection ". 
In my opinion, the theory of reflection is the most convincing theory about Art and science, about human knowledge in general. It sustains that reality reflects on human brain and the result is the human consciousness, the intellect, art and science. The problem of truth, scientific or artistic, is central in theory of reflection: Since the human brain is not a mirror, it doesn't reflect reality in an accurate way. On the contrary, the reflection of reality is peculiar, unique and it is always imperfect, incomplete, and approximate. According to the theory, humanity, in its historical process, is constantly trying to improve the perception of reality with all the scientific and artistic means that man invents or develops.
It seems to me that this approach, although precise, leaves a sense of depreciation for the human constructions, the "reflections": no matter how amazing science and art invented by man is, it's always only approximately true, it is incomplete, it always contains areas which will be surpassed in the future. I created this series of paintings to emphasize the following theoretical position: "The reflection of reality, every reflection, can be beautiful, although it is a false reality. And when it's beautiful, it's self-valued. "
I chose the reflections of boats in sea water, for several reasons. Because I love the sea, I feel it flowing in to my veins. Also, because the shape of boat is so familiar to us, Greeks, that we do not need to look at it to recognize it. Mostly though, because the reflection at sea water is elusive, changeable, unstable, uncertain, ambiguous, fluid, unlimited, just like human thought and therefore, the beauty of the one may refer to the beauty of the other.
I chose a point of view that is not common, that presents only the reflection and not the boat. From the boat I usually keep only what implies its appearance. Furthermore, my point of view is focus - in, close - up, because in this way everything is variable and fleeting to the maximum extent, it's almost impossible to be conceived. Everything: the shape, the light, the color. And they seem to be familiar but strange as they change momently, never repeated in the same way. In this close perspective, the reflection, the "shadow", turns out to be more beautiful than the object itself, just because of its incredible variability and liquidity.
I was obliged to use all the given painting technique. Nevertheless, I tried not to make my paintings a demonstration of technical ability or transform them into an academic work. Moreover, I believe that the coldness of the academicism is the result of its effort to capture the unchangeable, the unmovable, the certain and fixed, that is, is the result of motives exactly opposite than mine.
I didn't of course conceive my work as a simple theoretical statement. I couldn't. The colors produced by the reflections are so amazing, the texture of the traveling water is so silky, the explosions of light are so sudden and dazzling, that each painting made me forget every gray theoretical contemplation, although this was the initial motivation and reason .-
Asterios Lamprou
Fine Artist
Dr. of Aesthetics

Awards & Distinctions:

He has published the following books:
"Coloured circles" Novel, Athens 2000, ed. Syghroni Epohi.
"At Superman's fist" Study on the Aesthetics of Super hero, Athens 2003, ed. Syghroni Epohi.
The third book, entitled "Five times Zero" collection of five stories, has been submitted and is under review.

He has illustrated three children's books:
Patras' Carnival Komitat, "The Adventures of Little Prince", Patras 2004, ed. Papier Hier.
Elizabeth Kapageridou "Fairytales my mother has told me," Patras 2010, ed. Peri Tehnon.
Elizabeth Kapageridou, "The prince of the waters" Patras 2015, ed. Achaikes Ekdoseis.
 

Exhibitions:

1998 – Polyedro Hall, Patras, Topali's Foundation honored choice. Greece
2004 - Hansen Hall, Old Municipal Hospital of Patras, Greece.
2005 - Gallery “Aenaon" Athens, Greece.
2008 - Artspace «Catamaran», Patras, Greece.
2015 – Corfu Imperial Hotel, Corfu, Greece.
2016 – 70+1, Fine Art Exhibition, Chamber of Fine Arts of Greece, Agora Argyri, Patras, Greece.
2016- Thivoli Art Space, Melos, Greece.
2012 to present, he maintains a private workshop and showroom in Patras, Greece.
 

Professional/Teaching Experience:

He studied Fine Arts in New York (1979 - Queens College, 1980 - NYIT, 1981 - Parson's School of Design). He discontinued his studies in 1982 and started over in 1983 in Academia di Belle Arti di Napoli in Italy, from where he graduated in 1987 with honors.
He elaborated his doctoral thesis in Aesthetics at the National University of Athens and was nominated doctor in 1996 with honors.
20 years as a Professor of Secondary Education, in Greece

Tags:

boat, sea, blue, greece, reflection, water