Andrea
Costopoulos
Journey Upward
acrylic, 24 x 20" |
As a painter, I am most interested in expressing the decisions
we, as human beings, have made, might make, or are making
in our present life situations. By using brilliant colors
and common symbols, in abstract expressionist paintings, I
present a series of questions about our life choices, which
invites the viewer in for contemplation and self-examination.
The symbols used in these abstract paintings, such as stairways,
ladders, windows, train tracks, arches, fish, roadways, crevices,
eyes, trees, babies, hearts, trails, and bridges are used
to create complex images in expressionistic landscapes. These
landscapes can be either inside a building or outside in a
more naturalistic setting. The paintings depict all the choices
we, as individuals, may have to face at any given time, knowing
that one choice eliminates many other choices.
Light or Dark
acrylic, 24 x 20" |
My paintings are about the turmoil in our lives, the decisions
that are made, and the people these decisions affect. My paintings
speak about how daunting it is to respond to the many demands
placed on us and how we make decisions in our lives. I attempt
in my paintings to depict the passage through our lives by
the choices we make. These choices help to define us further,
as individuals and within the community. I paint about our
life activities, whether they be consciously or unconsciously
chosen.
My paintings invite the viewer into a series of implied and
very personal questions about the challenges of making life’s
decisions. Some of these questions might be: Where am I? Which
direction am I going in? Do I feel pulled in more than one
direction? Am I a part of the experience or am I outside of
it? Is this experience forbidding and dark or is it supportive
and nurturing? Is chaos tolerable? Am I hiding? Do I want
to escape? Am I going in circles and getting nowhere? Do I
have the right answer? Am I able to do this?
Window of Many Colors
acrylic, 36 x 24" |
The events in our lives that affect us are never ending and
sometimes seemingly out of our control. We, as individuals,
find many ways to resolve these dilemmas using uniquely individual
approaches. The choices in life are often difficult and sometimes
the outcomes of our choices are more satisfying than others.
I attempt in my paintings to express the journey towards making
life decisions, which are fulfilling to us individually and
strengthen us during our lives.
Though these paintings are filled with atmospheric light
and luscious color, they are not about being beautiful, but
about provoking thought, reflection, and emotional engagement
in the viewer. The casual viewer would not say, “Oh,
what a pretty painting.” These images are about the
struggles, conflicts, and questions in each day of our lives.
I paint all of life’s journeys, in such a way as to
engage the viewer with images that stimulate a thought provoking
interaction.
There is tremendous activity and a sense of multiple choices
in these paintings. I paint the process and the outcomes of
struggling to find a direction in life. I paint the dark recesses
of our psyches and our disappointments. I paint about hope,
no matter how momentary. These paintings usually have a deep
feeling of quietude to them. There is a sense that there is
a path to pursue which is meaningful. My paintings express
the peace of knowing that all is as it should be, even if
it is transitory.
|
