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FILIPPOS TSITSOPOULOS (Greece, Athens b. 1967 / act: Madrid) |
Filippos Tsitsopoulos was born on 30 April 1967 in Athens, Greece. He studied painting first in the workshop of Antonis Apergis in Athens (1984-1985), and subsequently at the School of Visual and Applied Arts at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1985-1990) under Vangelis Dimitreas and Makis Theofylaktopoulos. He was admitted to the Erasmus Program of the Fine Arts School at Berlin University (1987-1988). He continued his studies in Spain on a Nikos Vernikos scholarship, first under Schnabel at the Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid (1991-1992), and then at Complutense Fine Arts University in Madrid (1992-1996).Tsitsopoulos' art is in keeping with the basic principles of Abstract Expressionism, a trend that shunned representational subjects and was founded on the principles of automatism. He has been particularly influenced by Jackson Pollock and Action Painting, i.e. by the view that the process is as important as the final result. Tsitsopoulos loves colors, and uses gesture and large dimensions to bring them out. He is strongly in favour of the 'in vivo' treatment of the painted surface, and sometimes continues to intervene even after a painting has been hung for display. He works at his paintings constantly, while the materials are still wet. Apart from acrylics and oils, he also uses plaster or other insulators on canvas, linoleum or velvet. These techniques have produced the series San Juan de Luz, Advento, and El corazón es una víscera asquerosa (The Heart is a Hideous Piece of Offal). The latter group includes an installation that has been shown on Mykonos (Cavo Tagoo, 1997) and in Thessaloniki (Baccheia Festival, 1997): a picture secured in such a way as to keep it constantly underwater. Tsitsopoulos thus exploited the special effects created by the reflections of the light and its refraction on the surface of the water.
Filippos Tsitsopoulos presented the following personal exhibitions: Centro Cultural Galileo, Madrid (1993); Titanium Art Gallery, Athens (1995); Arte Contemporáneo - ArCo, Madrid (1996); European City of Culture, Thessaloniki (1997); Vafopouleio Cultural Centre, Thessaloniki (1998); Kreonidis Gallery, Athens (1999); La Adivinanza, Galería Belarde 20, Madrid (2001); Splash over Memories, Caja España, Spain (2002); Gelly and Sugar, Círculo de Bellas Artes, Madrid (2004). He has also shown his work in a great number of group exhibitions, including Chaos: Contemporary Cosmogonies, Bishopsgate Goodsyard, London (2002); The Rape of Europe, Luke & A Gallery, London (2003); A Drop of Dust a Grain of Water, Berliner Kunstprojekt, Berlin (2004); and Silent Dialogues: Multimedia Portraits Throughout Time 2008 The American College of Greece, Athens (2008).
[Megakles Rogakos 04/2009]
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