Visual artist Marianna Lourba perceives the world through geometry. Her abstract compositions explore the profound beauty and immense power of the universe. The viewer delves into dynamic relationships between forms, shapes, and colors, creating a captivating harmony open to various interpretations.
A world of grace, balance, musicality, harmony and rhythm unfolds before our eyes. Lourba’s images have no beginning and no end; they gracefully complement one another as they resonate with the Greek landscape. Her simple lines allude to mythical islands, deities, nymphs of Greek mythology and Cycladic architecture, connecting us with our collective subconscious. Lourba’s artworks consist of layers of wooden surfaces painted with acrylics, usually incorporating paper or LED lights. Her sculptures look like models for larger-scale constructions intended for public spaces. They stand out by creating a striking visual impact that transforms the environment into an oasis of color and elegance.
Her compositions, rich in vibrant hues, instantly draw the eye and serve as energizing focal points. The bold chromatic contrasts and intricate patterns reflect a sense of sophistication. Her pieces infuse spaces with beauty, elegance, and a sense of exclusive luxury, enriching the everyday experience.
Marianna Lourba was born in Athens in 1980. She holds a degree in Art and Design from Middlesex University, London and a postgraduate degree in Visual Communication and Design at the IED (Instituto Europeo di Design) in Milan. She is also the recipient of distinctions and awards by the DESTE Foundation and other prominent cultural organizations and companies. She collaborates with the Benaki Museum’s Art Shop and teaches Art and Design at a private college in Athens. Her works are featured in private collections in Greece and abroad. She lives and works in Athens.
Marianna Lourba talks to Greek News Agenda* about the role of harmony and geometry in her art and her sources of inspiration.
Harmony, balance, and geometry play a critical role in your work. Do these elements characterize you as a person as well?
Harmony and balance are characteristics of our inner and outer world. I believe that everyone seeks balance and harmony in his mind and his surroundings. So, as a human being, I too seek these values wherever I am.
When it comes to art, I believe that balance is a core principle. In my work, I balance forms, textures, lines and colors. This is, after all, what characterizes Ancient Greek art, which has deeply inspired me. The harmony, balance and geometry that runs through ancient Greek sculptures, pottery and architecture have strongly influenced my work.
White and blue in your artwork directly allude to the Greek landscape. How has it influenced you as an artist?
Blue and white do dominate, almost exclusively, in my works. In his 1975 book entitled “Elements of self-knowledge – For a true architecture”, architect Aris Kostantinidis points out that all buildings in ancient Greece were colored with earthy colors, such as brown, with the buildings on the Cycladic islands being a unique exception. In the Cyclades, this tradition has continued to the present day, where white is absolutely dominant. Domes of churches and chapels however are painted red, blue or ultramarine.
These hues and colors are an important Greek historical element but they also appear in my works from a personal perspective. I perceive colors as a play of the sun on the white alleys and blue domes of the Cycladic buildings. This light creates new forms and shapes in seconds, depending on the movement of the self-luminous sun. Color in my practice, therefore, refers to a temporal as well as a material substance.
The human form is absent in your works. Would you argue that it manifests itself in some way?
So far, I have talked about harmony, balance, geometry, light and color. At first glance, my work is indeed characterized by simple forms and lines that hint at the simplicity of Cycladic architecture. At the same time, however, they also contain the minimalism of Cycladic figurines, the first experimentation, the first attempt of man in Greece to get in touch with his physical and then with his Freudian “I”.
Geometry and abstraction can be seen as man’s first attempt to explore his body, his physical and biological existence as well as the bodies of those around him. This is how I also perceive external stimuli. I observe nature constantly, focusing on geometries that arise mainly from light, sometimes agreeing with Euclidean geometry and sometimes ignoring it. I am interested in the abstract human form, born out of these geometries.
In my last solo exhibition at Roma Gallery, a semi-circular shape ending in a neck stood out. Subconsciously, this shape recurred throughout most of my constructions, sometimes resembling a body or face, sometimes resembling a woman’s head. Each time the shape remained the same, yet it is the viewer’s perspective and attitude towards the work that will give it its final, meaningful interpretation.
Do you think it is possible to incorporate the artist’s personality in a minimalist or abstract work?
Minimalism and abstraction are the principles of artistic creation. Especially in Greece, and in the Cycladic culture, abstraction and geometry were the starting point for the creation of all the great statues of the Hellenistic and Classical times. Furthermore, they were a way of learning about the world. It was man’s first contact with the body, form and the idea of “existence”.
Therefore, abstraction, in relation to my work, bears a plethora of psychoanalytical and historical references. For these reasons, I believe that minimalism is not only limited to the austerity of form, but is also related to the discovery of substance, existence and a simplification of the process of observation.
The influence of Design is obvious in your art. How does it interact with art in its more traditional form?
As Walter Benjamin observed, since the invention of printing and photography, mechanical media have had a significant impact on Western culture. Design and visual communication originate from these two practices and are a catalyst in art today. They have therefore influenced contemporary art.
Being an artist working and interacting with contemporary society, I have also been deeply affected by this evolution. This is obvious in my work with regard to the materiality and rigor of the form. In terms of interaction with the viewer, I want my works to have a similar effect to ancient Greek figurines: a sense of collectivity and understanding. My origins are clear. The shapes, however, are just the pretext; it is the viewer who attributes conceptual substance to the form and shape.
*Interview by Dora Trogadi
TAGS: ARTS
