Petros Papavassiliou - Seascape

The introduction of the fourth dimension into painting, during the era of the historical avant-garde, brought about one of the most important revolutions in the history of art. And, upon closer inspection, the ability to represent the possible changes of an object over time and space is nothing other than a representation of Heraclitus's "everything flows, everything is in perpetual transformation." Petros Papavassiliou's work is rooted precisely in these presuppositions, as the artist is linked, by birth, to Greek culture and, by training, to the historical avant-garde. It can be said that Papavassiliou's uniqueness lies precisely in this essential connection between Greek culture and the pictorial avant-garde.

Formally, Petros Papavassiliou's interpretation of the passage of time and the transformation of matter is clearly linked to the abstract surrealism of Miró and the biological concretions of Max Ernst. But Papavassiliou's biomorphism has its own unique roots: his canvases, with their vibrant color palette and a kind of horror vacui, are literally pervaded by the whirlwind dynamism generated by the mutations of the depicted forms. From every cell, bacterium, or stalk, a cosmos can be generated: this is the Aristotelian theme of the Entelechy, to which the painter also dedicated a major cycle of works.

Petros Papavassiliou (Athens, 1928 – Milan, 2014), a Greek artist and a leading figure in contemporary art, is the youngest of the Abstract Surrealists, along with Max Ernst, Victor Brauner, and Sebastian Matta, all of whom belonged to the stable of gallery owner Alexander Iolas, who had discovered Salvador Dalí, De Chirico, and Magritte. His works, unmistakable for their vitality and compositional structure, were inspired by and created in Greece, Milan, and Lake Como, where he lived and worked. Through his Abstract Surrealist roots, Petros embodies an original perception of reality. The energy that drives every living element toward precise and predetermined transformation, mutation, and dissolution has always been a recurring theme in his painting. The exploration of bodies and forms, their deformation and transfiguration, develop, through clear chromatic characteristics, an infinite series of possible readings of the artwork, which itself never becomes static, but a vital element in constant change.

The transaction takes place with maximum security for both the seller and the buyer. We take care of the conformity (provenance, authenticity, state of conservation) of the work and handle the shipping.
Returns are possible no later than 14 days after receiving the order.