Jannis Varelas
The Oblong Series
December 15, 2011–January 7, 2012The Breeder, Athens
The Breeder presents for the first time edition works by Jannis Varelas. The artist, taking a peculiar tradition of printing has created two series of signed numbered editions, 10 and 100 respectively. Each of the prints is also treated differently (drawing, collage), making each copy unique. The processing of the prints works as an afterthought or comment to the original design.
Varelas has chosen to place at the core of these series of works ,two of the key figures from his latest solo show, ‘The Oblong Box’, that is presented these days at the Kunsthalle Athena. This body of work has to do with references to heroes, characters and personas of independent horror movies of the 70’s and TV programs for children of the same period on the one hand, and on the other, to reshape the editorial code of the ethical formations evolved in aesthetics.
Varelas’ artistic approach consists of a mixture of shapes, techniques and materials, combining classical forms with contemporary methods of representation.
The final result of this pictorial world, intricates the viewer’s gaze. Flat and fixed collage details, wild brushstrokes and intense colours, reveal frozen instants of movement which refer to human-like figures.
These figures are also depicted in the editions, but the differences between them make them look like members of an intricate race, as legion soldiers preparing for battle.
Jannis Varelas was born in Athens in 1977. He lives and works in Vienna and Athens.
He is a graduate of the Fine Arts and the Royal College of Art in London. In 2007 he participated in the 1st Athens Biennial “Destroy Athens” (curated by XYZ), in the 1st International Art Biennial in the city of New Orleans in 2008 that was curated by Dan Cameron and the Cairo Biennial in 2010. In 2011, he was nominated for the DESTE prize. His solo exhibition at the Contemporary Art Center of Cincinnati in Ohio is due to open next spring. In 2012 Jannis Varelas will also participate in the exhibition “The Power of Paper” with works from the Saatchi Collection at Saatchi Gallery in London.
