AJourneytoPaxosbyPavlosHabidis“AJourneytoPaxos”isabookof83watercolorsoftheislandofPaxosintheIonianseabytheAthenianartistPavlosHabidis.ThebookwaspublishedbyChrisBoïcosFineArtsinJuly2014.“AJourneytoPaxos”isaccompaniedbyanintroductionbythemayorofPaxos(2002‐2014)Mr.SpyrosBogdanosandatextontheartistbyMrsKaterinaKoskina,presidentoftheStateMuseumofContemporaryArt.ThebookwasdesignedbyJeanLeMoalinParisandLTHAdvertisinginAthens.PaxosisoneofthemostbeautifulislandsofGreeceandthisisthefirsttimeabookofimagesofPaxoshasbeenpublishedsince1887(!),whentheAustrianArchdukeLudwigSalvatorillustratedthefirstbookonPaxosandAntipaxoswithhisownsketches.ThebookwillbepresentedforthefirsttimeinabooksigningbyPavlosHabidisatthePaxosmunicipalartgalleryintheoldcustomhouseoftheportofLoggosonSunday3Augustfrom8to10:30pm.TheoriginalwatercolorsfromthebookwillbeonexhibitionattheLoggosmunicipalartgalleryfrom3Augustto7September2014.ChrisBoïcosFineArtsisanartgallerybasedinbothPaxosandParis,France.ChrisBoïcos,thefounderanddirectorofChrisBoïcosFineArts,istheformerdirectoroftheParisartgallery,GalerieBeckelOdilleBoïcos(1999‐2013).HeisofFrenchandGreekorigin.Hehascuratednumerouscontemporaryartexhibitionssince1994inartgalleries,artfairsandalsopublicvenuesinFrance,GreatBritain,GreeceandtheUSA.HeisalsoaprofessoroftheHistoryofArtintheParisdepartmentsoftheuniversitiesofCalifornia,theUniversityofSouthernCalifornia,theUniversityofWisconsinandtheUniversityofDelaware.

PavlosHabidisIn2004PavlosHabidiscompletedthe"Carnetd'Athènes"forLouisVuitton,analbumofwatercolorsoftheGreekcapitaldestinedfortheclientsoftheParisluggagedesignerinhis300boutiquesacrosstheworld.TheglobalsuccessofthisalbumencouragedHabidisinhisnewvocationofwatercoloristofworldcities.The"Carnetd'Athènes"wasfollowedbyanotherwatercolorbookontheGreekportcitynexttoActium,Preveza,andmorewatercolorsketchesoftheislandofAegina,theoldAthenssuburb,Kifissia,thecurrentbookonPaxosandalsogreatEuropeancitiesfromParis,toBrusselstoIstanbul.PavlosHabidiscapturesscenesfromthedailylifeofsmalltownsaswellasviewsofthefamoussitesofgreatcities.Likeaslightlydistractedpasserbyinahurry,heoccasionallystops,looksandnotesapicturesquecorner,acornice,astreetlamp,ametroentrance,abatherreadingbytheseaside,beforecontinuingonhisway.Theartistdrawsfromlifeininkandcolorshisdrawingslater,quietlyinthestudio.Thefinishedwatercolorspreservehisfirstfurtivelycapturedimpressionsandhaveatoneofseductivelightness.Theyareimbuedwithhumorandtheevidentsympathytheartistfeelsforthearchitecturaldetailsandurbantypeshecomesacrossinhisperegrinations.Thelightnessofthedrawings,whichisaccentuatedbythenervouslineandthetransparenteffectsofwatercolor,isararefeatureintheratherponderousworldofcontemporaryart.Itrecallsthecitysketchesof19thcenturywatercoloristslikeConstantinGuysandalsothefamouscoversoftheNewYorkermagazine,notablythosebySaulSteinberg.ThehumoroustreatmentofthefiguresintheirurbanorislandenvironmentsalsoremindsoneoftheclassicdrawingsoftheFrenchillustratorSempé.

PavlosHabidis­ATravellingArtistofthe21stCentury(TextbyKaterinaKoskina,PresidentoftheboardofSMCA‐June2014)

“IfirstmetPavlosHabidisinParisinthe1980s,whenwewereintroducedbyAlecosFassianos. wasimpressedbythisopenheartedGreekartistwho,despitehisresemblancetoaLatinAmerican,weallcalledthe“Swede”becauseofhisdualnationality.Wesaweachotherfrequently,andI,inturn,introducedhimtofriends,includingmyoldchildhoodfriendfromoursummerholidaysinPaxosandcurrentcolleague,ChrisBoïcos.IstillhavesomesketchesbyPavlosfromthoseyears. Yearspassed,ourpathsdivergedandafteralongtime,thankstoChris,whoseacquaintancewithPavloshadininthemeanwhiledevelopedintoafriendshipandaprofessionalrelationship, IrediscoveredPavlos’swork.InspiredbytheNeo‐Expressionistartmovementsofthe1980s andthe“wild”paintingofthatera,hisoldworkshavelittletodowiththedelicacyofhiscurrentsketchesandwatercolours.Otherthanthespeedandmasteryofthesketching,thereislittletoindicatethatthesearethecreationsofthesameartist.Thethick,resonantsilhouettesoftheearlydrawingshavebeenreplacedbyfine,incisivelinesthatcomposeallusivelycompleteimages–frozensnapshots–ofurbanandrurallandscapes.Theearthycoloursoftheearlyworkhave givenwaytodelicate,tintedwashesbeautifullysetagainsttheuntouched,off‐whitegroundof thewatercolourpaper.PavlosHabidishasdevelopedintoamoderntravellingartistwhorecordswiththoroughness,consistencyandskillnotonlytheattractivearchitecturaldetailsandanecdotalscenesofthecitiesorislandshevisits,butalsotheiruniqueatmosphereandspecificsocialandgeographiccharacteristics.Thisrequiresnotonlyatalentfortheartisticrenditionoflight,colouranddetailbutalsoastrongemotionalinvestmentintheplacedepicted,asympathyforthesubjectthatisareflectionoftheartist’sownvision.TheimmortalizationofGreeklandscapesbyatravellingartisttodayhasnothingincommonwiththe19th‐centurytradition,whentopographicalpaintinginGreeceservedthepurposeofrecordingthecharacterofanewlyfoundedstatewithagloriouspast:thenewnation’sarchaeologicalsitesandnaturalbeautiesanditsclassicaloriginsandvalues.Topographicalart inthe21stcentury,especiallywhenexecutedinwatercolourordrawing,isaself‐consciouslyanachronisticundertaking,aclassictraveldiaryputtogetherbasedontheartist’sownpersonalchoicesandforhispleasure.ItsaestheticandartisticvalueliesinitstrackingofthepresentcharacteroftheGreekhinterland–theimpressivevarietyofitslandscapes,societyandarchitecture–renderedinatangiblegesturalmanner,avoidingthebanalphotographictechniquesofthedigitalera.Undernocircumstancesmustsuchatraveldiarybeseenmerelyasastylishtouristguide.It isratherananthologyofgenuinelocalculturaldataasyetuntouchedbytheoverwhelmingonslaughtofmasstourism.Pavlos,wewelcomeyouandthankyouforhavingapproachedourislandinthisway.“

InhispaintingsoncanvasHabidisoftendepictsthefigureofasymbolicyoungman,nudeorsometimesdressed,alwaysinafrontalpose,lookinglikeamodernKourosandaccompaniedbytheanimalsorfruitsofanancientGreekfarm.TheseslightlyprimitivecharacterspaintedinMediterraneancolors‐ochres,blacks,earthreds–seemtheyoungdescendantsofByzantinefigures,Picasso’smodelsorthoseofmodernGreekpainterslikeYannisTsarouhis.Sometimesdreamy,sometimesinpain,alwaystenderandmelancholytheyhavefollowedtheartistsincethebeginningofhiscareermarkingthestages,moods,evolutionandcontinuityinhisartisticpath.

ThebookAJourneytoPaxosbyPavlosHabidisisvisibleon:www.boicosfinearts.comForaselectionofwatercolorsfromthebookpleasecontactChrisBoïcosorSofiaKouvaat:

christophe.boicos@gmail.com+306973013699+33(0)686589809

PavlosHabidis

PavlosHabidiswasbornin1957inThessalonikiinGreece.In1976hemovedtoSwedenwherehereceivedhisBAintheHistoryofArtandPhilosophyattheUniversityofLund.In1987‐88hestudiedprintmakingunderWilliamHayterattheAtelier17inParis,France.Hehaslivedsince1980inParis,Berlin,Tokyo,BrusselsandinSweden.HedivideshistimebetweenGreeceandFrancesince2010.PersonalExhibitions:2014 AJourneytoPaxosMunicipalArtGallery,Loggos,Paxos,Greece.2012 Kifisia–TheDrawings,TsihritziFoundationfortheVisualArts,Kifisia,Greece.2011SketchesofAegina,MuseumoftheHistoryofFolkArt,Aegina,Greece.2011Athens,theSmallDrawings,Genesisgallery,Athens,Greece.2011 ThePrevezaScrapbook,SpartiotiArtGallery,Preveza,Greece.2010EspacePeriple,Brussels,Belgium.2010Athens­Brussels­ParisIanosArtSpace,Athens,Greece.2009 T.KambaniGallery,Voula,Greece.2008Bastille­Kerameikos‐GalerieBeckelOdilleBoïcos,Paris,France. EspacePériple,Brussels,Belgium.2007TAGG,Athens,Greece.2006LeonKeuninckx,GrandRechain,Belgium.CastelloGaleazza,Bologna,Italy.2005AquarellesduCarnetd’AthènesdeLouisVuitton,ArphilandGalerieBeckelOdilleBoïcos,Paris, France. ZMGallery,Thessaloniki,Greece. ToMiloartgallery,Athens,Greece.

2004 Presentationofthe“Carnetdevoyage:Athènes”with117watercolordrawingsbyPavlosHabidis.PublishedbyLouisVuitton(Paris).FoundationoftheHellenicWorld,Athens:

EspacePériple,Brussels,Belgium.2002PalazzoMontefano,Bologna,Italy.ArtCenterX,Larissa,Greece.2000GalleryZ.M.,Thessaloniki,Greece.PavlosHabidis­EmmanuelleMellotGalerieBeckelOdilleBoïcos,Paris,France.1999 TitaniumGallery,Athens,Greece.1998PalazzoMontefano,Bologne,Italy.GaleriePascalOdille,Paris,France.1995ParatiritisGallery,Thessaloniki,Greece.

1994 StalkeGallery,Copenhagen,Denmark.1993 NishiazabuAsaclothGallery,Tokyo,Japan.1991 NishiazabuAsaclothGallery,Tokyo,Japan.1990NishiazabuAsaclothGallery,Tokyo,Japan.SEIBUIkebukuroGallery,Tokyo,Japan.1989 BistbornoGallery,Malmö,Sweden.1987HydrochoosGallery,Athens,Greece.1979ClemensLundGallery,Lund,SwedenGroupExhibitions:2014 Paxos­LandscapesandMythsII,ChrisBoïcosFineArts,Paxos,Greece. Pausanias,IanosArtSpace,Athens,Greece. RidersontheStorm,GenesisGallery,Athens,Greece.2013 Paxos­LandscapesandMyths,ChrisBoïcosFineArts,Paxos,Greece. Kavafeia,GeziraArtCenter,Cairo,Egypt Thesmophoria,AcropolisMuseum,Athens,Greece. BlackandWhiteDreams,HaniaArt,Hania,Crete,Greece. TheGazeofNarcissus,HaniaArt,Hania,Crete,Greece. INeverPromisedyouaRoseGarden,GenesisGallery,Athens,Greece. Kavafis,IanosArtSpace,Athens,Greece. Passages,GalerieBeckelOdilleBoicos,Paris,France. TheClarkLawrencecollection,CasadelMantegna,Mantua,Italy.2012Passages,GalerieBeckelOdilleBoïcos,Paris,France. Smyrna:90postcards,IanosArtSpace,Athens,Greece. SaturdayinAthens,Greece.,Genesisgallery,Athens,Greece.HumanResources,Genesisgallery,Athens,Greece. Tobe…HomagetoWilliamShakespeare,IanosArtSpace,Athens,Greece. KaplanonArtSpace,Athens,Greece. Oinopoieion,LemosCenter,Athens,Greece.2011HomagetoPapadiamantis,MelinaMerkouriCulturalCenter,Athens,Greece.2010AnthropinaMetra,MelinaMerkouriCulturalCenter,Athens,Greece.MuseumoftheHistoryofFolkArt,Athens,Greece. TracingIstanbul,Tehnopolis,Athens,Greece. TracingIstanbul,GreekConsulate,IstanbulandOrthodoxchurchofChalke,Chalke,Turkey.Brinies2010,Kranidi,PortoHeli,Greece.Ersi’sGallery,Athens,Greece.2009GalerieBeckelOdilleBoïcos,Paris,France. ErosetThanatosGalerieChantalBamberger,Strasbourg,France.Ersi’sGallery,Athens,Greece. IanosArtSpace,Athens,Greece.2008 GalerieBeckelOdilleBoïcos,Paris,France.2007BeyondArtTAGG,Athens,Greece. P37Gallery,Athens,Greece.2006SacreduPrintempsGalerieBeckelOdilleBoïcos,Paris,France.

2005 LeonKeuninckx,GrandRechain,Belgium. ArtCenterX,Larissa,Greece.2004NaturesMortesGalerieBeckelOdilleBoïcos,Paris,France.2003 YayannosGallery,Mykonos,Greece. GalerieBeckelOdilleBoïcos,Paris,France. InfopuntEuropaVandeProvinti,Antwerp,Belgium2002SpringExhibitionArtCenterX,Larissa,Greece.NusGalerieBeckelOdilleBoïcos,Paris,France.

BellStudio,ChicagoILUSA. YayannosGallery,Athens,Greece. ArtCenterX,Larissa,Greece.2001GalerieLéonKeuninckx,Grand‐Rechain,Belgium.WorksonPaper,JenniferNorbackFineArt,ChicagoIL,USA.1999EuropeanParliament,Strasbourg,France.GalerieLéonKeuninckx,Grand‐Rechain,Belgium.GalerieStalke,Copenhagen,Denmark.WorksonPaper,GalerieBeckelOdilleBoïcos,Paris,France. GalerieduPont‐Neuf,Brussels,Belgium.1998GalerieLéonKeuninckx,Grand‐Rechain,Belgium.1997Lecorpsetl’âme–LeNu,GalerieCornette‐Pajarin,Paris,France.ParateritisArtCenter,Thessaloniki,Greece.1996StalkeGallery,Copenhagen,Denmark.GalerieToft,Paris,France.1994ArtistesgrecquesàParisMaisondel'Europe,Paris,France.SwedishArtAssociation,Paris,France.1992 SwedishArtAssociation,Paris,France.1991SAGA,GalleryZaar‐Johanson,Paris,France.TornvallGallery,Stockholm,Sweden.NalepaGallery,Berlin,Germany.1990StalkeGallery,Copenhagen,Denmark.1989GalerieEst,Paris,France.GalerieTrosaKvarn,Trosa,Sweden.1978ClemensGallery,Lund,Sweden.MalmöKonsthall,Malmö,Sweden

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