The Greek landscape once again constitutes the background for the new body of work by Panos Kokkinias. This time, in addition to the alienation from nature and the transferring of our urban neuroses onto it, one can discern a concern for current political and social developments.
The depictive stereotypes of the Greek psyche, such as the sea and the antiquities, assume new roles, transforming themselves and end up in self-nullification. The small human figures seem to lack any contact with their environment. Their efforts to disengage appear to be doomed. Momentary hopes and public celebrations lead to emptiness and despair. The Myth collapses, often in a way bordering between tragedy and comedy.
The distinctive features of his photographic work, such as the staging of the image, the high definition, the clarity of composition and the emphasis on colour, still remain intact in an effort to ensure unhindered access to the subject itself and to lure interest away from the intervention of photography.
About the Artist
Panos Kokkinias [Greece, b. 1965] studied at the School of Visual Arts, New York, at Yale University and at Derby University, UK. He has presented solo exhibitions in Paris and Athens and has participated in group exhibitions in Europe and America. In 2011, his first monograph by Powerhouse Books was published in New York.