Page 64 - ATHENS RIVIERA JOURNAL 2023

ATHENS RIVIERA JOURNAL
culture

A ntonios Aspromourgos’ works reflect

the diversity of emotions that are evoked
by memories and experiences and can be
found in museums and private collec-
tions in Europe, USA, Africa and Asia.
Having received awards and distinctions
in international competitions from the Art Renewal
Center, the American Portrait Society and the Inter-
national Guild of Realism, he has also been featured
on the covers of international art magazines.
How would you describe the transition from Greece
to America and then back to Greece and indeed to
the island of Syros?
The transition from Greece to America is never easy
for anyone even if the destination is one of the most
beautiful states of the USA such as California where
I lived for several years. The culture and mentality are
light years away from the Greek reality and it takes pa-
tience and courage to adapt accordingly, but in the end
the reward is worth it! My return to Greece, which I
imagined would be more difficult, was for family and
practical reasons. A reconnection with the artistic
community and a nostalgia for the wonderful sun and
the endless blue of the Aegean Sea! I chose the island “IN GREECE, I AM INSPIRED BY THE
of Syros because I have always loved the Cyclades and WINTER, WHICH ESPECIALLY IN THE
Syros is one of the most majestic islands, rich in his-
tory and culture, and the ideal destination for privacy CYCLADES HAS A WILD BEAUTY, WHILE
and creation. But when you want to get involved so-
cially, the capital of Hermoupolis is buzzing with life DURING SUMMER, I PREFER TO BE
all year round!
Is it easier to promote a visual artist’s career in Cal- INSPIRED AND WORK IN CALIFORNIA.”
ifornia than in Greece?
California is a huge state. Three times the size of Greece
and with a population of 39 million. It is much more beauty, while during summer, I prefer to be inspired nia. You never know what might suddenly appear in
difficult for an artist to be recognized because he has and work in California whenever I get the chance front of you and inspire you!
to compete with an international market and many because the light is softer and the pastel colors add What is your motto at this time or throughout time?
very notable visual artists. That’s why awards and a romantic note to the environment. Live every moment! The most precious gift in the
acknowledgements have a different weight. Behind Is there a painting that hides behind its color a universe is time!
every artist with a level of recognition and profes- strong story of your own? What message does your art convey about Greece?
sional achievement there are endless hours of work Behind each of my works there is always a story but My aim is to evoke in someone looking at paintings of
and dedication, hard and difficult days. Hyperreal- I will refer to a funny story about the painting of mine with a Greek theme to feel that they are trans-
ism art requires huge reserves of patience, excellent gummy bears with the title “Sweet Dreams”. ported there, if only for a moment: to feel the rustling
painting skills, technique, good physical condition We were on vacation in Seattle, Washington in of the wind on the silver olive leaves, to hear the splash
and above all a sense of calmness. It’s a very difficult November 2018 and we were walking through the of the waves, to smell the thyme under the hot sun! I
painting technique and for this reason, compared to streets of downtown. A colorful candy store caught have heard this reaction about some of my paintings
other techniques, there are very few hyperrealist art- my attention. We went inside to buy chocolates and I confess that it was the best review!
ists. California is one of the birthplaces of Hyperre- and I was surprised to find that there were large, What are your next plans?
alism and so the standards are high! In Greece, there square glass containers where you could buy - by After completing my solo exhibition as part of “Syros
are not so many hyperrealist artists and so the market the ounce (the American version of grams) - many Culture, 2023”, I plan to decompress a bit and travel
has only just begun to invest in this type of art. To an- of these candies that I had only previously seen in back to California to see friends. I believe that life itself
swer the question more clearly, the opportunities for packages. These colorful jellies, that I have adored will direct me to the right place! I would like to work
a strong visual artist are more in USA but they need since I was little, caught my eye. I pulled out my with compositions related to the element of water. I
to work hard and be confident of how they wish to phone, took a single shot in a hurry, and then we really like it. It is fluid, soft, seductive but also danger-
express themselves. rushed out of the store to meet up with friends! I ous! The Mediterranean Sea in all its manifestations:
Which of the two environments, Greece or America finished the painting one month later in the stu- wild, calm, colorful or sad! We have been intrinsically
is a greater source of inspiration for you to design? dio. It is my first painting on a wooden panel and linked to the Aegean Sea for thousands of years and it His “Sweet dreams” (2018. Oil on board. Private Collection California) reflect a micro scale of
In Greece, as strange as it may sound, I am inspired by the only still life I have made from a spontaneous deserves to be captured in all its glory!  the everyday world. Opposite page, Antonis Aspromourgos in front of his new artwork “Delfini
the winter, which especially in the Cyclades has a wild photograph. It is in a private collection in Califor- aspromourgosart.com Syros” (2023. Oil on linen canvas.), Opuntia in Ano Syros, (2022. Oil on Linen canvas).

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