Never be content with what you are
until you learn what you are not
Stephan Gechev
until you learn what you are not
Stephan Gechev
Zacharias Koumblis and the Glory of the Humble.
The retrospective exhibition by Zacharias Koumblis provides the art loving public with an opportunity to follow the progress of the artist in the field of the Fine Arts. A course which revealed it special dynamism from the very beginning, when as a young graduate of Geology at the University of Thessaloniki, by not hesitating to listen to his internal impulse and his genuine artistic instincts by seeking paths which better reflected his nature and by abandoning Science and being initiated into the secrets of Art through studying painting at the School of Fine Arts
After a successful presence in the field of art for almost twenty years, artworks-rich in quantity and quality, and numerous individual and group exhibitions both in Greece and abroad, the artist can now take pride in the fact the decision taken in his youth has been vindicated although he continues - still prompted by the same internal need - his creative course, serving his vision with patience and persistence while the flame and creative fervour has not ceased to warm his soul.
Zacharias Koumblis is a man who impresses by his discretion and his thoughtfulness, characteristics which also feature in his works of art. The artist is not attracted by large sizes, loud colours, stark compositions but is charmed by what is small, humble, earthly, the thoughtful. Nothing vain lurks in his work as he does not seek to climb but to raise, he does place hope in conquest but in understanding, he does not take account of passion but of serenity.
This sense of the peaceful and humble runs in all of his work, a sense which can be defined as composure and wisdom of maturity. His artistic creations are connected with images engraved in the mind of every human being. Reminiscent of the golden light of sunrise, a loaf of hot, steaming bread, the murmur of the rain or the afternoon stretching over the hills. They relegate us to family homes which may not be violated, to sacred places to which you are invited to come to with humility.
The special, almost ritualistic reassuring atmosphere of his work certainly owes much to the way the artist handles colour. Warm, earthy colors make up his favorite palette. Ochre and sepia, cinnabar and deep red, purple and gray-brown. Tones of red, yellow and orange. Off-white, white, black, gray, bluish. Here and there a little cobalt, turquoise or ultramarin. Everything seems chosen and balanced by a careful hand. Nothing unfitting is permitted, no unnecessary exacerbation, nothing that could disturb the harmony and glory of the humble.
It would not be wrong to talk about personal choices, which however, bear the stamp of universality, as it is a color range familiar to every human, which derives from the universality of human experience. It is certainly true that this particular range owes much to technique, as each color is transformed and acquires special being under the influence of the technical process. The burning, carvings and oxidation leave their stamp on the painter's color quests and are converted into secret potions, with the help of which the color acquires its particular sensibility and expressiveness that characterizes the color choices of Zacharia. Colour interests the artist not only for its artistic value but as a bearer of life, this is why he insists on its transformation processes which, even metaphorically reflect the essence of creation and never tires of experimenting using a broad range of techniques.
The research nature of his work - which is confirmed by the repetition of types and variants of the same theme - is revealed by the approach to the creative process. The artist seems to begin the creative search in a purely intellectual way which differs little from the methods of scientific research. A minimum visual stimulus is sufficient to begin the process of creation. Then through continuous experiments he “encircles” his subject steadily until he can obtain the desired form. Nevertheless, throughout the course of the creative process he remains constantly vigilant in order to understand in time when the project is likely to lose its vitality and be left to instinct. Or again, the road that he follows is just the reverse, as the impulse that initially guides the hand and brush is reined in by the mind and logic in order to avoid excessive peaks that do not comply with the calm and harmonious atmosphere that is dear to the artist.
The two different approaches - the intellectual and instinctive - seem to function together also in the selection of materials used by the artist, as many heterogeneous materials are collected carefully with a view to finding their place in the work of art. In his studio beside the conventional materials suitable for artistic use, there is a host of other materials that have been chosen with almost religious reverence. The artist gifted with the patience and perseverance of the bee carefully gathers the essence of small, everyday things to create the precious spirit and patina of life that he wishes to be transfused to his work. Next to wood, which is the artist’s favourite material, we find paper, metal, silicone, plaster, rope, gauze, wire, stones, shells, leaves, sticks, fruit, feathers, fabrics, and many other cheap or tawdry materials . The special properties of all these materials are used with imagination and ingenuity and the heterogeneous materials are fully reconciled to the benefit of an expressive art, creating complete stunning works of art.
A key feature of the paintings of Zacharia Koumblis is the way in which the composition is organised. Many works are examples of {a painting within a painting}, since the theme is not confined to the usual main painting,(or painterly space) but extends to the frame in a way that transforms it into a second painting. In almost all of these compositions there is a combination of the figurative and the abstract in various versions. In some cases, the central composition adopts figurative expressions while the frame prefers abstract types which are easily perceived as space or landscape. At other times the figurative gives way to the abstract, as the central composition and the composition of the frame form abstract types. Finally there is the case where the abstract is relegated by the figurative and also the exact opposite scenario where forms that border on the abstract are prominent.
A typical example of the first case of the organization of the composition are works bearing the title "Figure" or "Musician". These human figures, male or female, often transferred to a transcendent and mystical place. Solitary, immersed in silence, usually in pairs and more rarely in small or larger groups. Always, however, equally lonely and silent, the forms are presented in the center, occupying almost the entire surface area of the "painting – form’’, while the " surrounding frame " area is a composition suggesting landscape or interior space.
Usually reclined, and sometimes seated or standing, are strongly plump and relief forms, have their hands loosely folded under the chest or abdomen or resting gently on their knees and appear to be to listening to the sound of their heart, both focused and in deep contemplation . Not wishing to identify with specific standards they avoid features that could make them specific. Even those same facial features are carefully erased, in order to respond more effectively to archetypal portrayals.
However, the thoughtful and peaceful forms that appear safe, robust and hardy, transfuse with striking immediacy ancient memories to today. When viewed, the mind goes back almost automatically to the reliefs of antiquity, as they evoke associations of the respective forms or clusters we find in metopes and friezes of ancient temples. But beyond and above any references to the cultural past, the artist with their help negotiates the question of human tragedy, accepting the premise and poetic interpretation of the world.
The second major group of works - where the figurative give way to abstract - works mainly fall under the title 'Composition'. In these works the human form is absent and the figurative is marked by elements of nature, usually solitary trees or clusters of trees. These patterns are repeated again and again. The trees, the sphere of the sun, the landscape is endless and mysterious. The artist effectively handles the artistic and plastic art values creating beautiful "painted reliefs", while impresses by the ability to portray almost miniature illustrations of monumental dimensions.
In the case of 'a painting within a painting "another group of works could be included which appear as though they have been taken from and old temple icons, conveying effectively the spirit of the past, reminding us of Byzantine methods and techniques. In these works the abstract is absent, as human figures occupy both the main composition and the zone, surrounded by the frame. These works refer to images of saints, in which the composition is organized in a similar way as the main composition hosts the image - portrait of the saint which is surrounded by scenes from his life or his sufferings.
Finally in the same category there are compositions in which abstract types prevail. These works bear the title "Polyptych" or "Composition" and follow a strictly structural logic, while the same sized or proportionally equal or parts generate single sets that are often read from left to right, while the frame of the painting ensures the smooth "visual transition" from one section of the work to the other without disrupting the harmony of the composition and integrity of the whole. The element of intimacy that is rooted in universal human experience, is evident in works of this section and is reminiscent of walls threadbare from rain, leather bound prayer books abandoned in closed churches, woodworm ridden boats, once favorite items and now ruined by rust . Ephemeral elegies, palimpsests of time past leaving their mark.
But there are works where the surround loses its function as a painting and the weight of the composition is transferred to the conventional painting surface. This group includes, among others, works belonging to the early and recent period of the artist. These works, although separated by long time span, seem to meet in a magical way, as real masterpieces, like “Stromatographies” of recent years, revealing affinity with the works of the early period, giving the impression of a return to Ithaca, but enriched with the wisdom and knowledge of life’s experience.
Examining these works we could possibly focus on the "role of the random", although the works themselves do not reveal that the random, in the case of Zacharias, is just another sign of his continual and persistent effort. Again in the case of these works it is obvious that the artist, who is possessed with a great concern for detail, seeks with patience and perseverance, the precise position of each material. Nothing escapes the careful eye and responsible hand of Zacharia. Scratching, carving, rubbing, erasing, giving life and form to the shapeless, exploiting in the best way the possibilities of his materials and resources. The choice of simple, almost monochromatic earth scale, the certain composition, freedom from fear of a vacuum, the feeling of confidence and maturity foreshadow a new creative direction of the artist.
In closing this brief reference to the work of Zacharia Koumblis it would not be possible not to mention a different but very interesting aspect of his artwork, his three-dimensional constructions. Works created with patience and enthusiasm which draw directly on primitive art, serving as reminders pagan totems, while at the same time creatively assimilating the teachings of folk carvers and the teachings of contemporary art.
By analogy with the other works these materials also are carefully selected and their position studied and chosen with precision, the textures and colours reveal the inner strength of each material involved in the organization of the complete work of art. Although the artist says that in these works his approach is intuitive, the works reveal in a unique way, beyond the power of the intuitive approach, the valuable contribution of academic study, which allows the artist to unfold his creative skills in different directions.
September 2009
Eleni Kartsaka,Art Historian
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