A heretical view of the world
It resembles a parade of human vanity, a carnival of mores and human figures: The exhibition «Antonis Kyriakoulis: A Heretical World,» currently on at the Pireos Street annex of the Benaki Museum and curated by Fani-Maria Tsigakou, is a dense and piercing study of the foibles of human character as seen through the imagination of the renowned Greek cartoonist and illustrator Antonis Kyriakoulis. It is a dissecting and humorous view of the world that amuses but also brings about a certain melancholy, a comical, yet in one way dark, depiction of man. Hundreds of drawings placed in double-faced plexiglass structures suspended from the ceiling occupy the entire exhibition room. Beautifully designed by Lili Pezanou, the display evokes the airy quality of Kyriakoulis’s drawings. Seen all together, the drawings resemble a crowd and evoke human presence. The same is true of «Orchestra,» a large installation that has been placed at the very end of the hall. Plexiglass structures that resemble cupboards and contain a collection of drawings have been placed along the walls. The inclusion of chairs designed by Kyriakoulis show the broad range of his work which, besides drawings, includes theater set design, costume design and illustration. The art of Kyriakoulis speaks of the ordinary, of things we recognize and relate to. However, to fully grasp its depth and appreciate its intellectual humor one must be equipped with a knowledge of history and culture. This is because one of the most distinctive features of his work is the way it weaves associations between the past and present. Interestingly, Kyriakoulis does not depict individuals – the way a political caricaturist would – but uses attributes taken from different historical periods to portray different human types. In his amusing and insightful two-page «autobiographical» note that is included in the wonderful album on his work (published to coincide with the exhibition), Kyriakoulis writes that when observing people on the street, he often associates them with portraits that he has seen in history books. «On the nearby trolley, I recognize the son of Lorenzo de Medici and a woman in Monastiraki may remind me of the infamous figure who poisoned people in Victorian London. I discover the model of a figure after I have painted it…» he writes. The titles chosen for many of the works illustrate this constant journey among different cultures and periods in history. They are filled with satire. «Soula Tutanchamon and Sofia Rampses out Shopping for Gauze» and «The Empress Zoe Karvounopsina» are some examples. However, his work is rooted in Greek society and its development from the beginning of the 20th century to today. It offers a penetrating image of Greece’s social structure and a portrayal of passing trends. «Personas of the Mass Media,» «The Trendy,» «Art Lovers,» «Ambassadors of Goodwill» – all titles of drawings – are the types of contemporary Greek reality that the artist satirizes. Usually painted in profile, his cartoon figures have long pointed noses that resemble those of birds or of masks. They carry a vapid, almost stupid expression and in many cases wear feathered hats. Kyriakoulis exposes the ludicrous aspects of human behavior, ridicules people’s self-importance and role-playing, their megalomania and self-involvement. He derides with equal force the Greek nouveaux riches and the offspring of the more traditional Greek bourgeoisie. Nearing the age of 70, Kyriakoulis has lived through various transformations in Greek society. He was bred in the intellectual Athens milieu of the 1960s; a feeling of old Athens that is so characteristic of his work harks back to those early days. After studying graphic arts alongside the well-known Greek engraver Tassos, he lived in London for several years. During the 1970s, his work appeared in some of the most important Greek magazines. This is also when he started working as a set and costume designer for the theater. A few years later, he collaborated with film directors Manousos Manousakis and Michael Cacoyannis. Kyriakoulis is also a writer of limericks and of strange paraodies of opera librettos. He also worked with Manos Hadjidakis. In his autobiographical note in the exhibition catalog, Kyriakoulis mentions what he regards as his two greatest accomplishments in life: «The first is that I never took myself seriously and the second that I observed people around me with great attention…» he writes, which, in the end, explains the humor and inventiveness in the work of this unusual artist. «Antonis Kyriakoulis: A Heretical World» at the the Benaki’s Pireos St annex (108 Pireos, 210.345.3338) to July 29.
