Northeast
Spotlight Artist
Paul Anagnostopoulos
Northeast
Artist Statement
My work is an exploration of mythological desire and queer melancholy. I construct portals to an idyllic paradise. Complex layers eliminate parts of the landscape as if representing an unclear memory. They serve as postcards from a journey that may or may not have been experienced. This intricate picture plane has contradicting layers of depth and flatness to imitate electronic environments. Conceptually, the paintings celebrate intimacy and a tender masculinity. Hyper-masculine images are manipulated to appear sensitive and emotive. Vulnerability and melancholia reveal a more human side of these otherwise all-powerful bodies. This conceptual thread of longing and tragedy mirrors the melodrama of mythology. I reinterpret ancient images and unite them with visual material created between the Stonewall Riots of 1969 and the peak of the AIDS crisis of the 1980s. By combining these eras, I encourage viewers to meditate on queer history and focus on a neglected perspective. Each painting serves as a memorial to these lost generations. I examine various systems and histories in order to honor and empower queer stories.
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