solo exhibition

Women. The ultimate creation. Women. Pictures of a man’s thoughts.

Alexandros Vasmoulakis visits through his new work the period between renaissance

and late 19th century art in order to comment on how woman was treated by the

masculine glance and desire. Inspired by Bouguereau, Botticelli, Titian, Etty and

others he argues against the model of woman-object, against the image of a woman

being the coveted fruit from a financial paradise.

The artist’s cornerstone is nudity. The nude that once was the absolute expression of

faith to human spirit. This same nude that was confined to the satisfaction a man’s

gaze. The Aphrodites, Helens and all kinds of “virgins” of Alexandros Vasmoulakis

disclose their body to confirm that nude is stronger than naked, that beauty is

objective and not ordered, that a body without clothes is enough to bring out the

nature and the spirit of a beauty’s character.

Every female figure of Vasmoulakis’ exhibition has a name and a past. She is

delivered from the passivity, which the male-buyer imposed on her and she is now

claiming a face, which speechlessly describes in details a vigorous personality. She

presents herself as she wishes and through an arrogant and come-hither look she asks

of the audience. She is demanding the role that either way belongs to her by nature

and in her “defenseless” nudity puts forward the map of the game and outlines its

rules.

Man enters this game deprived of his basic advantage, his physical strength. All that

is left of him is a bodiless face. He shows off his manhood with an old fashioned

moustache and his obedience to this new female world with his smile.

Alexandros Vasmoulakis, a frequent visitor of the man-woman temple of relationship,

sometimes violent and impetuous, sometimes with faith and respect, with tenderness

and always with his profound and radical sarcasm, this time grimes the sanctified

paintings, he genuflects devoutly before them or repaints them, creating organic

palimpsests ready to go on a new war – or love.

Through the bright smile of his figures, the artist articulates clearly his basic idea - the

bliss to be vivid, thriving and free.

Kouroubalis, 11

ink & acrylic on canvas
130x180cm

Jan 2011

ink & acrylic on canvas
130x180cm

Nov 2010

acrylic on canvas
110x120cm

Oct 2010

ink & acrylic on canvas
120x150cm

Feb 2011

ink & acrylic on canvas
130x170cm

Oct 2010

ink & acrylic on canvas

150x200cm
Nov 2010

acrylic on paper mounted on canvas
217x290cm

Jan 2010

ink & acrylic on canvas
150x180cm

Nov 2010

ink & acrylic on canvas

130x190cm

Sep 2010

graphite on paper

21x28cm each

Jul 2010

graphite on paper

21x28cm each

Aug 2010

graphite on paper

21x28cm each

Aug 2010

ink & acrylic on canvas

110x130cm

Feb 2010