In a world filled with the visual complexities of multimedia art, contemporary artist Stelios Mormoris has always prided himself on keeping his paintings simple.
“It’s just oil,” Mr. Mormoris said at an artist reception at his Chilmark studio on Sunday afternoon. “My work is about traditional painting.”
An architect by trade and an oil painter at heart, Mr. Mormoris’ studio is where his two passions come together. He designed the atelier himself, a space he described as a “self-contained universe” for his creative process. That peaceful universe opened its doors to the public on Sunday for Mr. Mormoris’ first ever artist reception. The afternoon celebrated his latest series, Pastorale, a collection of about a dozen 36” by 36” oil paintings.
He will hold another opening on Sunday, Sept. 2 from 4 to 7 p.m.
“Part of my intent as an artist is to make something beautiful,” Mr. Mormoris said, while crediting artists like Agnes Martin and Jasper Johns as inspirations. “I’m bringing motion to color. It’s geometric, but also shows emotional allusions to certain things.”
Each canvas in the collection is painted with 12 stripes, each three inches wide. Their uniformity, Mr. Mormoris explained, is “harmonious” to the series.
“Each stripe plays with the illusion of depth,” Mr. Mormoris added, gesturing to a blue-gray piece called Winter Iris. “The painting doesn’t feel entirely flat. I always ask, how will the stripes relate to one another?”
Pieces like Gate of Pines and Jade Garden play with mossy green tones, while canvases like Canal Verdigris and Pause mimic the iridescent blues of an island oasis. Pastorale is the fourth series Mr. Mormoris has created on the Vineyard. His previous collections, Quansoo Woods, Glamour and The Current were also done on-Island.
West Tisbury resident Nancy Shaw Cramer paused in front of the paintings to study their intricacies. Ms. Shaw Cramer owned the Shaw Cramer Gallery in Vineyard Haven for 20 years, and voiced her appreciation for Mr. Mormoris’ contemporary works.
“The pieces are interesting for different reasons,” Ms. Shaw Cramer said. She gazed at one painting, Dawn, Dusk, head-on before moving to the side of the canvas. “The differences might be subtle, but they show depending on how you look at them. It’s a breath of fresh air.”
Mr. Mormoris uses both silk and acrylic paintbrushes to achieve his final products. He explained that he always has a theme in mind before beginning and purposely lets the brush strokes remain visible.
“I really want the viewer to feel the process,” Mr. Mormoris said. “And to see the work where it was created.”
Mr. Mormoris’ studio is located at 33 Quenames Road, Chilmark. A reception will be held there on Sept. 2 from 4 to 7 p.m. For more information visit steliosmormoris.com.
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