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"Footprints" marks U.S. exhibition debut for Greek painter
December 18, 2003 | |||||
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A Greek artist now living in Marion, Indiana, will present her first U.S. gallery exhibition January 11–February 15 at the IU Kokomo Art Gallery. Footprints: A Long Journey from Legendary Greece to Glorious America will feature oil paintings and pastels by Avra Economakos, who supported herself as an Athens artist for two decades, before moving to Indiana in 2002. Economakos’ images draw inspiration both from her Greek origins and from Indiana landscapes. Whereas many Athenian artists look to the sea surrounding Greece for inspiration, Economakos said she “looked in National Geographic” magazines, to find the woodland images she preferred to paint. Coming to Indiana and seeing the types of fall foliage and pastoral scenes she’d only viewed previously in photos, she was “100 times more amazed,” at the colors and beauty. IU Kokomo Art Gallery Director Minda Douglas said Economakos works in a quick “loose” style that pulls viewers into a setting. “It’s very fresh and very natural. It’s as though she’s thinking, ‘How can I describe this place with the most economic use of brushstrokes?’ ” Twelve of the paintings Economakos is developing for the IU Kokomo show will reflect a very ancient, classic theme—athletes of the first Olympic Games, as depicted on Greek pottery. She is painting the sports figures on clay boards, rather than canvas. The background’s clay surface absorbs more of the paint than canvas does and produces “a sort of glaze on the surface of the paint,” she said. Economakos will describe her creative process in two lectures—one during the January 11 opening reception at the gallery, and a second at 2:30 p.m. on January 28 in Kresge Auditorium, across from the gallery. The exhibition is made possible with support from the Kokomo Community Arts Commission, the Tippecanoe Arts Federation, and the Indiana Arts Commission. Admission to all IU Kokomo Art Gallery exhibitions and activities is free. Gallery hours are Monday–Thursday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; Wednesdays, until 8 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, noon–4 p.m. Call (765) 455-9523 or visit www.iuk.edu/gallery.
Sidebar January 11–February 15 Footprints: A Long Journey from Legendary Greece to Glorious America
Painting and drawings by Avra Economakos.
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