Saturday 16 March 2024

Neo-Impressionism in the Colours of the Mediterranean



Neo-Impressionism in the Colours of the Mediterranean at the Goulandris Foundation, Athens.

Neo-Impressionism, or Divisionism, also called chromoluminarism, is the characteristic style of painting defined by the separation of colours into individual dots or patches that interact optically. This exhibition is dedicated to the Mediterranean years of the Neo-Impressionists. It follows the artistic development of Signac, Cross, Luce and Van Rysselberghe towards a freer and bolder style of painting. The palette of these artists, enamoured of pure colours, continually gains in vigour and vicaciousness. As such, it illustrates in the most elegant way possible the words of authors who had ventured before the painters into this little-frequented Mediterranean coastline: Guy de Maupassant, Stendhal, Theodore de Banville. Initially prized by people suffering from poor mental health, the Mediterranean climate attracts increasingly greater numbers of art lovers who are enticed by a genre of painting that is from  that time on solidly rooted in the sensory and the subjective.

Signac and Cross remain faithful to the Neo-Impressionist technique to the end of their days, but Luce and Van Rysselberghe will gradually distance themselves. Newcomers like Matisse, Manguin will experiment with the divided brushstroke quite diligently, with an independent spirit that anticipates the artistic revolutions to come.

On March 29, 1891, Georges Seurat dies unexpectedly at the age of 31. The death of the founder of Neo-Impressionism leaves the other members of the group - in particular, Paul Signac, Henri-Edmond Cross, Maximilien Luce and Theo Van Rysselberghe - at a loss. Many critics and painter friends, including Camille Pissarro, foresee an imminent end to the artistic movement which they misinterpret as nothing more than a transient rebellious offshoot of Impressionism.

However, Seurat's death marks only the closing of the first chapter of Neo-Impressionism.  A second chapter will soon unfold, far from Paris, on the shore of the Mediterranean. And, Signac, now the leader of the group, takes it towards new horizons, both geographic and artistic.

1. Reborn on the shores of the Mediterranean.

Cross is the first to discover the Mediterranean in 1883. In search of an isolated spot spared of industrialisation and tourism, he settles in Cabasson  near Le Lavandou in 1891, then moves to Sait-Clair for good. Signac, who intends to leave Paris for part of the year, follows him in 1892 and chooses Saint-Tropez, a small fishing harbour still unknown at that time and situated nearby. The two painters' wonderment at the untouched nature of the Midi is such that they waste no time in convincing their friends Luce and Van Rysselberghe to come and join them for summer holidays that promise to be both inspiring and relaxing.

The works produced during the first Mediterranean period reveal a group of artists who are eager to pursue the Neo-Impressionist adventure despite the difficulties and criticisms. Each one in his own manner distances himself from Seurat's dogma to let explode on the canvas a growingly more subjective style of painting. In this way they allow Divisionism to rid itself of its excessively rigorous tendencies and to blossom with an unequalled vigour.


Henri-Edmond Cross, Portrait of a Young Man, 1885-89, (oil on canvas)



Paul Signac, Saint-Tropez, Sun Setting over the City, 1892, (oil on wood)





Paul Signac, Chromatic scale tests, 1892



These two panels detail the implementation, by Signac, of the scientific theories that led him to follow Seurat in the venture of Neo-Impressionism. More particularly, they were both inspired by the chromatic circles of Michel Eugene Chevreul, director of the Gobelins Manufactory, who sought to create a universal classification of colours. Rather than working in a circle, an ineffective method for practical use, Signac outlined small rectangles, most of the same size, in pencil. Then, he placed adjacent colours of the spectrum side by side and gradually degraded them with white. The desired colour would then be recomposed on the canvas, by association and juxtaposition of these small touches of adjacent colours of the spectrum. The optical mixing would be carried out unconsciously by the eye, at a certain distance.



Henri-Edmond Cross, Study for Beach at Cabasson, 1891-92, (oil on canvas)




Paul Signac, Study for In the Time of Harmony, Standing Boules player, 1894, (oil on wood)




Theo Van Rysselberghe, Coastal Scene, 1892, (oil on canvas)

Van Rysselberghe coated his canvasses with a softer palette than his colleagues, playing with contrasts more subtly than them. He was thus able to breathe all his subjectivity into his canvas, while remaining faithful to the constraints of division.




Paul Signac, Saint Tropez. After the Storm, 1895, (oil on canvas)

Three years after discovering the Midi, Signac allows a new vision of Neo-Impressionist technique to flourish on the canvas. The dots broaden out to become tesserae.  This marks the pivotal transition towards the advent of a more subjective style, eager to reintroduce all the charms of the ephemeral that the Impressionists commanded so masterfully.



Henri-Edmond Cross, The Farm (evening), 1892-93, (oil on canvas)



Henri-Edmond Cross, Nocturne, 1896, (oil on canvas)



looking closer



Maximilien Luce, The Port of Saint-Tropez, 1893, (oil on canvas)

Tranquillity, softness and serenity.




Maximilien Luce, Saint-Tropez. Citadel Hill, 1892, (oil on canvas)



Theo Van Rysselberghe, Paul Signac at the helm of the Olympia, 1896, (oil on canvas)




Maximilien Luce, Saint-Tropez, The Cenetery Road, 1892, (oil on canvas)





looking closer

The divisionist technique seems to correspond entirely to Luce's need to patiently, carefully render the smallest detail. The seven colours of the spectrum, scattered throughout the composition, are so skilfully applied that Luce faithfully renders the rocks and the path without ever using the 'useless ochre and earth colours' which Signac and, before him, Delacroix detested.



Paul Signac, The Red Buoy, 1895, (oil on canvas)




Paul Signac, Saint-Tropez. The Fountain of Lices, 1895, (oil on canvas)





Thursday 14 March 2024

The Hermit




The Hermit by Viron Erol Vert at the Museum of Contemporary Art  (EMST) , Athens.

An immersive installation created in 2023 especially for the museum, inspired  by the work of Yannis Xenakis, the subject of two major exhibitions at EMST at the moment. It aims to explore several aspects of the avant-garde composer, architect and mathematician's practice as well as highlight the influence he has had on contemporary musicians and sound artists.

In his research, Vert focused particularly on Xenakis' early works such as Six Chansons for Piano (1950-51), a short piano suite, which contains many elements of Romanian and Greek folk music. At the time of the piece's composition, Xenakis stated that he was searching for his cultural roots: 'I was trying to find my identity, and my Greek origins suddenly became important to me... Mussorgsky and Bartok reminded me that I had to understand and love Greek folk music'. Subjects such as belonging, migration, speech sound, beat, and the rhythm of his native geography were analysed in Xenakis' early compositions. All contistute, in one way or another, cornerstones of his work.

The process of searching for one's cultural roots and identity is something Vert personally relates to due to the complex nature of his own background. Coming from Turkish, Greek, Arab, Levantine, Armenian and Sephardic roots, Vert recognised in these early works of Xenakis, a curious, and experimental approach that resonated with him, qualities that inform The Hermit.

Vert's installation brings together different elements that Xenakis also deployed in his practice, such as architectural models, mathematics, geometric shapes or, for example, the Fionacci sequence (in which each number is the sum of the two preceding ones).

The Hermit, ultimately, is an immersive, interactive gathering space with a nightclub-inspired aesthetic which is at times, filled with sounds composed by contemporary experimental musicians (both local and international). At the same time, the six windchimes at its centre, transform the space itself into a musical instrument. 

                                                                        *   *   *

Visitors are invited to immerse themselves and enjoy the enveloping audio-visual environment the artist has created. There were no musicians when we visited, but we had a wonderful time playing with the wind chimes, creating different and complementary sounds. We played for so long that someone from the exhibition next door came to have a look at what was going on. When we finished, we went to look at two other exhibitions on the top floor, then came down and played some more. It was great fun.




We did however, not know any of this as we approached, intending to take the stairs to the next floor. We just saw this red light and decided to investigate. 




We were immediately hooked.




The windchimes, the seating, the colours, the shapes - totally immersive




We started playing with the windchimes




and from time to time others came too








I went up to the 'red' window




and had a look outside - Lycabettus hill in the distance





then went up to the lilac window




and had a look.




We had such fun!




Had another look at the view outside from a window a floor up, just to compare.




When we finished we went up to the roof of the building where the views are spectacular




Lycabettus Hill




The Acropolis



zooming in.


 

Tuesday 12 March 2024

Old Tavernas


The magazine that comes with the Kathimerini newspaper on a Sunday had a feature of tavernas that have been around for years and still thrive. We decided to try and explore. We managed to go to four this time, but will keep on sampling more next time we go to Greece because we loved it. The atmosphere was great, but mainly, because the food was just so good: real traditional Greek food, beautifully cooked. In most cases, anyway.



Phillipou, in Kolonaki, has just had its 100th birthday. This taverna is not new to us - it is one of our regular haunts and furthermore, I have been going for years.  Kolonaki is a middle-class area of Athens and most of its patrons are local. It's also patronised by staff and users of the American School of Classical Studies and the British School of Classical Studies, both of which are situated nearby. I worked in the American School for 4 years in my early twenties, and this is when I found out about Phillipou. 










A lot  of the food (stews, soups, oven dishes like mousaka) is displayed like this and it makes it easy to know what the dishes of the day are - you have a look then you go to your table, and order. 




The food consists of all the Greek classics, fasolakia (green beans in tomato sauce), pastitsio (pasta and mince with thick white sauce), mousaka, arakas (peas in tomato sauce), bamies (okra in tomato sauce), aginares (artichokes in egg + lemon sauce), various meat stews, Greek dips - basically all the Greek classics. 




There are menus too of course, where a lot of other available dishes are listed.




A lot of people come to take food home, and there is also a number of delivery guys who are constantly busy - all a testament to how good the food is.




This poster commemorates the taverna's 100th birthday.




There is a tiny area for sitting outside and weather permitting, we tend to sit here, even though the interior is very cosy.




The Old Fisherman's Tavern is situated in Plaka and again, has been around for ages. We had not been here before and we managed to come here twice because the food is extremely good. The stifado and the baklavas are the best I've ever had. It is a bit pricey through:  prices being higher than your average taverna.




There is a large outdoor area for sitting down, mostly on the street, and on the steps (good for people watching)




there is also a large balcony for sitting outdoors - you can just about see it in this photograph





The taverna consists of three buildings, the one above, the one a few photographs up 




and this one. My guess is that it's absolutely packed out in the summer which is when Plaka flourishes




Interesting interior, but all rooms, and there are so many, were empty when we visited as both times the weather was good and everyone sat outside







I Saita, situated in Plaka again, is in a basement




but there is plenty of outdoor space




in a pedestrianised street, so it's very quiet and again, good for people watching





So came for lunch quite early, but by the time we left there were no free tables left.




The food is excellent. I had lahanodolmades (rice and mince wrapped in cabbage parcels in an egg and lemon sauce) and they were delicious. Ken's sausage was outstanding: homemade from a mountain village, we guessed.



Interesting interior, and I can guess how cosy it would be in a cold winter's evening







The wine barrels that every taverna used go have




and interesting murals/paintings on the wall,




mainly depicting ealy 20th century Athenian life





A good find.




Diporto is situated in a basement in an abandoned old building which is full of graffitti. It's in the Omonia area, near the Athens market which is on Athinas Street.  There is no sign outside, you just had to get the address right and then find the steps that lead you down to the taverna. 




There are two entrances, both similar steps, hence the name Diporto which means 'two entrances'.




Down the steps we went




It's a tiny space and it was packed but we managed to get a table straight away




Later, one of the entrances was completely blocked because of all the people queuing, waiting for a table




We got a table by the barrels, a table for two which is just as well, because the policy is that every chair has to be taken so people are made to share a table with people they don't know







The menu is very limited, just four dishes. We ordered beans in tomato sauce, fava and fried fish. There was just one more dish on the day's menu and that was chickpea stew. We did not order wine, but we were served wine.

The place is basically a dump. We thought that a limited menu would mean good quality but it was anything but. I love fava but did not rate this one at all. The fish was greasy and so salty I could not eat it and aftert one bite, we left it. Ken's beans were more like a soup, rather than the delicious thick stew they normally are.




Fava comes with raw onions but I always ask for those to come separately as only Ken will eat raw onions. In Diporto they came on a piece of paper, as came the bread. There were no paper napkins, just more of the same paper, and even though I asked for some water it never came. 

The rule seems to be easy, basic  cooking which you just dump on the customers, minimal washing up, fill the place up and get them out as soon as you can. We stayed for 25 minutes and were relieved to leave. I stopped on the way home and bought some chocolate so as to get the taste of the food out of my mouth.

Yet, the place was packed. Some Greek people, but mainly foreigners. My guess is it's in some guide urging people to go there for the 'authentic Greek experience' - well, it is not authentic at all, it's just a dump. To be avoided.