Bizarre Ecosystems
An interview with artist Odysseas Mourellos
October 2021 - No. 5
Odysseas Mourellos is an artist based in Athens, Greece, who has a unique imagination that runs wild in each of his paintings. For him, the painting process is an intimate and vulnerable experience where he uses his full body and mind to create new shapes and compositions that can mirror iterations of dystopian worlds with scientific motifs. He gathers inspiration for his works through the spontaneity of the painting process itself, and is thrilled by the many interpretations audiences share about his work. Starting a dialogue with his viewers is a wholeheartedly exciting prospect for him. So, what objects and visions do you observe from his compositions?
What purpose does painting serve to you and your life?
Painting is a need for me, and I think for many artists. I’ve been painting since I was young and it always provides me with a relief from life. It’s a pleasurable experience, but can be frustrating. I become wiser through my artistry, and every time I paint, I have a new dialogue with myself and expand my horizons.
Who do you create for?
I create for myself first, then my audience.
My paintings are like a map of my brain, so when someone is attracted to them, they can see my deepest thoughts and perceptions about myself, society, and nature. I do not paint for a reaction, but for my audience to understand me. Industry people have said my paintings can be easy to sell because they are graphic and attractive to the eye, but I only paint so vividly because it’s how I truly feel, there is no other explanation. Whoever is receptive to my perceptions as an artist, is my audience.
What are your thoughts on sharing your artwork digitally, as we’ve become accustomed to this year?
There are many disadvantages to viewing my artwork digitally. Firstly, my audience loses the grand scale of my paintings when only looking at them through screens. I do not believe my work can be fully understood or appreciated unless seen in person. There are many details and energies that the audience cannot be enveloped in unless they stand in front of my work. In person, you can also dissect the different lines, textures, and angles of the painting more thoroughly.
I try to showcase the details of my paintings as well as I can over Instagram, but it’s not the same as seeing it in person. Last year, for example, I released work inclusive of UV reacting colors. When I put a black light on top of the paintings, it completely transformed the frames, making for an exciting experience. I haven’t found a way to portray this effect accurately over Instagram yet.
Your latest series of work features ecosystems of fantastical and scientific landscapes. How did you prepare for and research the scientific motifs threaded throughout each piece?
All of my work starts out as improvisation, I do not necessarily research topics. I use my full body and mind when I create, and find themes and messages to pursue during the painting process.
For example, the theme of microcosms and macrocosms, in the series you reference, developed naturally through the art of my improvisation. I might have started out painting a big circle with my body, then tried to make it more realistic. As I refined that shape, I noticed it looked like a planet or molecule, so I pursued it. As I worked, I added more intention and style and fell into a dystopian-like world. My studio then became my own mad laboratory, in a way.
You often show developmental stages of your work on Instagram. Is this to showcase your process of improvisation to your audience?
Yes, I want my audience to see the process in my paintings. This means showing them frames of finished and unfinished work side-by-side. I want my audience to understand the different stages of my paintings because my creations are constantly alive and changing with each brush stroke and drip of paint.
In the work-in-progress visuals, my audience gets to see the organic elements of my paintings - the shapes, materials, drips of paint - in their original state. I do this to show the spontaneous flow of my painting process.
Can you describe your improvisational creative process in more detail?
I feel most free when I start a painting because it’s an experimental phase where I discover the subject of my work as I improvise on my canvas. This is a very emotional process for me because I try to find the balance between my organic shapes and movements and the story I discover within the spontaneity. Once I find a story that I want to pursue, I add more intention to my canvas to make the idea come alive.
There’s also an element of destruction in my process. I might completely destroy a painting that I do not feel is working, or continually rework any figure in my compositions that does not feel right. I will start throwing different colors or brush strokes over an area of my canvas that I want to modify. It’s within this destruction that I find harmony in something new.
How do you plan to expand your creative motivation and find new opportunities to grow?
I plan to move out of Athens next year to spark more inspiration and motivation. I love working in Athens because it is a lively and active city, but I need a change to find new influences. I plan to move to another city in Europe for a few years, then return to Athens.
I am open to anything that can help me grow, and I plan to search for art residencies and collectives to meet more artists. It’s refreshing to meet new people and interact with them for new ideas and modes of opportunity beyond the Athens art scene.
Is there a place you wish to see your paintings one day that they are not already displayed?
I want my paintings to be alive and give meaning to someone’s life every time they look at it. Wherever my paintings can help people travel and think differently, is where they should be.
Keep up with Odysseas and his mad laboratory on his Instagram here
Kaló Mína Poetry Series
As we work with new and eccentric artists each month, we want to provide you with fresh content. This month, we’re publishing a poem by Dr. Constantina Theofanopoulou.
Dr. Theofanopoulou is a Post-Doctoral researcher at the Rockefeller University and a Fellow at the New York University. Her research interests range from neuroscience to genomics. She is also a mentor for supporting of women and other underrepresented communities in science.
You can read more of Dr. Theofanopoulou’s poetry here
We want to hear your thoughts and comments each month as we showcase young up-and-coming artists. Do not hesitate to reply directly to this email or at connect@kalominanews.com to share your voice.
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