Antonia Papatzanaki, is an acclaimed visual artist that lives and works in New York. She gained recognition for her light sculptures. Delving into the material properties, morphological qualities, and conceptual intricacies of light, she continuously explores the structure and nature of reality.
Her exhibition “Breathlines”, currently on view at the Center for Mediterranean Architecture in Chania, draws inspiration from biology and highlights the vital role of plants for human life and the planet’s ecological balance. Her creations serve as a starting point for reflecting on our planet’s future and the climate crisis’s impact on humanity. Combining art and science, she focuses on what is “essential and universal”. Her light sculptures use natural and artificial light and opaque and translucent materials to create an aesthetically coherent, contemplative feeling, while dynamically interacting with the surrounding space. Her art alludes to the miracle of life and the complexity of nature.
Antonia Papatzanaki was educated at the Athens School of Fine Arts, the Hochschule für Angewandte Kunst in Vienna, and she acquired her Master of Fine Arts from Pratt Institute in New York. She has been honored with numerous prestigious awards and has won competitions for public art projects.
Antonia Papatzanaki talks to Greek News Agenda* about “functional beauty”, her sources of inspiration and her signature “light sculptures”.
You come from the beautiful island of Crete but live and work in New York. How have these two places influenced you as an artist?
I am interested in what is essential and universal; what is important for man. Perhaps this approach stems from the Doric element of Crete that is reinforced by the multiculturalism of New York. Crete offered me a base, a sense of being well-grounded. It also provided me with self-sufficiency and frugality. I firmly believe in values as expressed by Nikos Kazantzakis: “You should love responsibility. You should say: I, I alone can save the world. If it’s lost, it’s my fault”.
As a vibrant and diverse metropolis, New York reinforces this global perception, and as an artistic hub, it brings together creators from all over the world, encouraging dialogue between them.
Your works focus on the microcosm, nature and environmental issues. How did this perspective come about?
My work deals with the structure and nature of reality. It draws inspiration from philosophy and science. For many years, physics was my main source of inspiration. Later on, biology took over this role.
Most of my recent work is inspired by microscope images. I focus on the structures that nature chooses to create complexity and life. When one deals with these issues, sooner or later, he realizes the impact of human activity on nature. Although we are part of nature, we often treat it as a rival or exploit its resources recklessly, unaware of the pollution and destruction we cause. The consequences of this behavior eventually come back to haunt us. We are all experiencing the effects of the climate crisis that is already affecting every corner of the planet, from extreme weather and fires to sea-level rise and extinction.
Do you think there is room for raising awareness regarding social or environmental issues through art?
Artists, as sensitive social beings, are influenced by events around them and react both on a personal level and through their work. Nowadays, many works of art express these concerns, regarding social and environmental issues. Art has the unique ability to touch the viewer on an emotional and intellectual level, creating space for deeper thought and reflection. Through art, viewers can be inspired and see things from a new perspective. This contributes to raising awareness and possibly leads to a change the way we think or react to the challenges of our times.
You use a variety of media and materials to express and communicate with the viewer. How do you choose them each time? How about your “light sculptures”?
The idea of a work dictates the choice of the material through which it will be realized. Each material has unique properties that evoke specific emotional reactions and mental images. I work with a variety of media and scales, from small oil paintings to large-scale light sculptures. The paintings in the “Structural” series, are created with oil on canvas and function as “light drawings”, exploring the invisible shapes that nature uses to create life.
The use of light is a signature element of my work. Light is a universal symbol, directly connected to life and metaphorically to the truth. As a key element of our visual perception, it is related to the process of investigation, analysis, evaluation and understanding. The light artworks of the installation “Vital Lace”, as well as sculptures in the “Structural” series, are made of laser-cut stainless steel, Plexiglas and light. I combine opaque with translucent materials, allowing light to transfer and take form. The third dimension of the work is limited, however, the light expands it, transcending the material boundaries of the work and taking over the space.
The light in the work interplays with natural daylight and weather conditions, creating a dialogue between the fixed, artificial light of the work and the changing natural light of the environment. This interaction transforms our perception of space and time. Through this process, I invite the viewer to reflect on their own place in the perpetual flow of the universe.
*Interview by Dora Trogadi
TAGS: ARTS
