FAD caught up with Stefano Rokos ahead of his London Show “Revert to Disarray” to be held at MEN GALLERY 30A Redchurch Street, London E2 7DP Private view Thursday 6th June more details HERE
1. If you weren’t an artist, what else would you be?
– A chef in a gourmet restaurant, a musician or a surfer.
2. Can you tell us more about your work and what are the main ideas you would like to express?
-The title “Revert to Disarray” is literal, with a sense of self-sarcasm. While creating this body of work, I realized that its principal elements were disorder, concern and deconstruction of the form, even when it comes to depicting simple and everyday situations. Being a quite organizing person, but currently living through a personal and social disruption, the return to something that is not so typical for me (but always present) was – from my point of view – fun and interesting. All of my painting’s themes, whether being everyday snapshots or subversive, unpredictable imagery, are approached by me in such a serious and particular manner that end up being a sort of heavy or ironic commentary.
3. How do you start the process of making work?
– I started working on my new group of work right after the presentation of my most recent solo exhibition in Athens, “Horror & Romance on Another Planet” in 2010. I didn’t know where that would lead me nor what shape would this take. I usually work the other way around. First I think of the subject, the title, and then start creating the pieces, based on what I have in mind. This time, the paintings were done first and then I realized the exhibition’s main themes and title.
4. Do you consider the viewer, when making your work?
– I consider only some viewers.
5. Name 3 artists that have inspired your work.
– David Hockney, Henry Darger and Nick Cave.
6. What defines something as a work of art?
– Its personality.
7. Anytime, any place – which artist’s body would you most like to inhabit?
– Maybe Stanley Kubrick’s.
8. What was the most intelligent thing that someone said or wrote about your work?
– That it’s the essence of whatever is happening inside me and around me.
9. Do you care what your art costs? State your reasons!
– Yes, I want to earn my living from art. I’m not painting as a hobby.
10. What’s next for you?
– A Return to consistency.
About The Artists
STEFANOS ROKOS
Stefanos Rokos is a greek contemporary artist, born in Athens in 1977.
Academic Studies
1995-2000: Studies painting and printmaking at the Athens School of Fine Arts.??1999: Attends lithography classes at the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-?rts in Paris, within the European programme “Erasmus”.
2001-2002: Degree of Master of Arts, M?: Print from the Wimbledon School of Art in London.
Solo exhibitions
2011: “Horror & Romance on Another Planet”, CK Art Gallery, Nicosia, Cyprus??2010: “Horror & Romance on Another Planet”, Agathi Gallery, Athens, Greece.??2010: “Horror & Romance on Another Planet> The Prequel”, International Contemporary Art Fair Art Athina 2010, Agathi Gallery, Athens, Greece.
2008: “First Contact With Nature”, International Contemporary Art Fair Art Athina 08, Agathi Gallery, Athens, Greece.
2007: ”After Dinner”, International Contemporary Art Fair Art Athina, Agathi Gallery, Athens, Greece.
2006: “Painting”, Art Gallery Yiomisti Kefali , Sifnos Island, Greece.
2005: “Noise and Useful Objects”, Agathi Gallery , Athens, Greece.
2002: “Painting”, Art Gallery ?mymoni , Ioannina, Greece.
2001: “Painting”, Agathi Gallery, Athens, Greece
Since 1999, he has participated in a number of group exhibitions in Greece and abroad.? ?In 2009 he presented, in collaboration with musician Orestis Karamanlis, “Imago Dixit”, an interactive installation (painting, sound and realtime gesture capture).
In 2010 he presented the art/music project “Horror & Romance on Another Planet”, with the participation of 18 musicians and bands from Greece, UK, USA, Canada and Belgium. (more info : www.horrorandromance.com/)??He has created the artwork for the covers of cds by Bobby Conn, Krista Muir, Interstellar Overdrive, Sigmatropic, Pavlos Pavlidis, Foivos Delivorias and Christos Leondis, as well as posters for theatre performances, concerts and films.?From 2002 he is a member of “Kormoranos”, a Non Profit Company involved in the field of cultural events. (www.kormoranos.gr/)
Stefanos Rokos will present his new set of works “Revert to Disarray” in two solo exhibitions in May and June 2013:
16-19 May : International Contemporary Art Fair Art Athina , Athens, Greece
06-27 June : Neu Gallery, London, UK
