In 1984, I spent a summer on the island of Nisyros, a small Greek island located in the far eastern corner of the Aegean. Being half-Greek, it had been a life long dream of mine to visit Greece, and it was an experience that has shaped my artistic work ever since.
Tucked away between the larger and perhaps more notable islands of Kos and Rhodes, Nisyros is easily passed by, which has left it with few tourists, and as a result, an authentic cultural experience. In fact, the well known writer and philhellene, Lawrence Durrell, wrote in his travel guide to the Greek Islands that “Nisyros is a depressing place, with its burning stones and lack of shade; so you will not be sorry to carry on towards Tilos and Astypalea.” The clear disparity between my experience and Lawrence Durrell’s highlights something I have come to believe with great conviction: That one should never underestimate the mystery of another human being. In this case, the same can be said for a place. This island may be overshadowed by its neighbors, but I believe Nisyros deserves a closer look. I will be visiting Nisyros this summer to do research for the purpose of creating artwork for an exhibition. I am establishing this site to document my experience and keep my friends, family, colleagues and anyone else who may be interested, informed of my endeavors.
Nisyros offers a very long history of human endeavor to explore. Its mythological birth, noted in the writings of Homer, denotes a weaving of past and present common in places with such a dense history. Poseidon, pursuing the terrible giant Polyvotis, broke off a piece of the island Kos and heaved it at him, trapping him underneath. This story explains how this volcanic island, which offers a virtual open air museum to modern geologists, was understood by the early inhabitants; the largest crater is said to be located where the mouth of Polyvotis is buried and the periodical earth vibrations are due to the labored breathing of the Titan.
Nisyros was subject to annexation and alliance by a long line of empires; the Persians, Athenians, Macedonians, Romans, Arabs, Knights of Rhodes, Ottomans, Italians, and finally in 1945 a unification with Modern Greece. This has left the landscape dappled with remnants of the past civilizations. Ancient temples, Roman baths, knight’s castles, monasteries, churches, terraced gardens, act as testament to human endeavor in each layer of time. For as long as I can remember, my artwork has been inspired by the human experience, and its connection to history. This experience will allow me the opportunity to return to Nisyros with a mission to document, through visual and artistic research as well as social anthropological methodologies, the beauty, mystery and culture of this overlooked island.
This project will culminate in and exhibition of my artwork
on Friday September 24th at De Soto Row Gallery in
Savannah
Georgia.
This project was funded through the Savannah College of Art and Design, Inc. Presidential Fellowship for Faculty Development.
In 1984, I spent a summer on the island of Nisyros, a small Greek island located in the far eastern corner of the Aegean. Being half-Greek, it had been a life long dream of mine to visit Greece, and it was an experience that has shaped my artistic work ever since.