Saturday, March 21, 2015

Kweku McDonald writes about Triada Samaras' "Greece: Enoikiazetai/Poleitai - For Rent/For Sale" photographs


Triada Samaras and Kweku McDonald talk at 
The State of Greece:  Enoikiazetai/Poleitai - For Rent/For Sale Reception at Nancy Dryfoos Gallery

     Sometimes wonderful and unexpected things happen at one's opening reception. 
This is exactly what happened to me on Saturday March 7, 2015, when the very first guest arrived to my The State of Greece: Enoikazetai/Poleitai-For Rent For Sale opening reception at Nancy Dryfoos Gallery at Kean University.  In walked a complete stranger, one who spoke enthusiastically of his love for and interest in Greece including Greek current events, politics, economics, and naturally Greek music and culture.  Several emails, and music video/Youtube shares later, he sent me these words he wrote about my work. I do believe Kweku has captured my work perfectly with his words!  T.S.

     "I found this exhibition full of socio-dynamic fervor relating to the Greek economy. The photographic art is dominated by inherent and intricate messages of the pent up emotions of Greek current affairs, best characterized by the common thread of graffiti as an expression of contemporary feelings, and emotions of dissent and expressions of protest, in some. In keeping with the theme - " The State of Greece - For Rent For Sale," the closed for business visual expressions of other exhibits, relate the stagnation of the Greek economy, which has been the source of discontentment in recent decades."
Kweku McDonald

Saturday, March 14, 2015

Reception Pictures! Triada Samaras The State of Greece: Enoikiazetai/Poleitai-For Rent/For Sale

Hello!
The State of Greece:  Enoikiazetai/Poleitai-For Rent/For Sale opening reception was held at Nancy Dryfoos Gallery at Kean University last Saturday. It was not only a great reception it was a reunion of sorts with many separate threads!  Here are some of the reception pictures.  I have so many thanks to all of you who attended and to those who helped me with this exhibition in numerous ways especially Neil Tetkowski, Director of Kean University Galleries, Erin Coffey, Graduate Assistant, Carol Pernice, Sarah Menchise, Will Truran and Leopold Veuve.
Enjoy!
Triada



















Sunday, March 8, 2015

Press Release for the Opening of my Exhibition: "The State of Greece: Enoikiazetai/Poleitai-For Rent/For Sale"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Artist, Triada Samaras, 

presents:
The State of Greece:  Enoikiazetai-Poleitai / For Rent-For Sale


Above: The State of Greece #2 Digital Photograph 20” x 28” c. Triada Samaras 2015

Brooklyn, New York 3/1/2015
Artist, Triada Samaras, is pleased to present her photographic series: The State of Greece:  Ενοικιαζεται -Πωλειται / For Rent-For Sale at Nancy Dryfoos Gallery, Kean University, Union, New Jersey, from March 4-March 31, 2015.  Opening reception:  Saturday, March 7, 2:30 – 5:00 http://www.kean.edu/~gallery/Upcoming.html

About the Current Exhibition
This exhibition of eleven medium-sized, color photographs highlights the economic malaise in Greece that Triada Samaras, an interdisciplinary artist based in Brooklyn, New York, encountered in Athens, Greece when she was visiting her family there. 

Samaras’ photographic series: The State of Greece: Enoikiazetai-Poleitai/For Rent-For Sale explores the question: What is the state of Greece today?   Samaras states, “In a multitude of subtle and obvious ways, Greek economic austerity, as a theme, triumphs the Greek visual landscape in this moment. The words: ΕΝΟΙΚΙΑΖΕΤΑΙ - ΠΩΛΕΙΤΑΙ:  FOR RENT - FOR SALE dominate the streets, structures and spaces of Greece, repeating themselves ad nauseam along blocks of once occupied homes and shops, spelling out the current, disastrous Greek state of affairs.”  

The artist wandered along the streets of central Athens, to capture these images and state of affairs in Greece. Syntagma Square, Stadiou Str, Hermou Str between Syntagma, and Omonia Squares, Monasteraki and Omonia Squares, and the neighborhoods of Pagkrati and Ilissia are all featured.  Samaras describes these routes and areas since anyone familiar with Athens will know they are neither the poor areas, nor the off the beaten track ones, but rather they constitute the central, well traveled, and once affluent streets of former Athens.

Today, however, things look very different.  Images of locked gates, desolate store windows, and graffiti appear often in her photographs, as do images of the artist herself, often as a reflection or a shadow of herself.  Art critic Susan Handler wrote about the work, “Utilizing the language of visual symbolism and the written word, the viewer can read in her photographs the toxic plague that is thriving and destroying the country.”
Samaras states, "It is my sincere hope that these photographs might provoke the viewer to ask questions and to seek creative solutions.”  To this end, she will be donating some of the proceeds of her exhibition to Greece.

More About This Work

The State of Greece:  Enoikiazetai/Poleita-For Rent/For Sale was first a digital and socially engaged art project at Vital Space/Nature and Humanity, co-created by the economist and recently elected Greek finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, and installation artist, Danae Stratou. It can still be found there at http://www.vitalspace.org/art-projects

About the Artist

     Triada Samaras is a Greek-American artist born in New England with family members on both sides of the Atlantic.  Samaras has lived and worked in Brooklyn, New York for many years. She has created art works in a wide variety of media including painting, sculpture, drawing, street art, public art, photography, texts, poetry, essays and social media.  As an interdisciplinary and socially engaged artist, Samaras’ work often grapples with contentious environmental, geographic, economic and social issues in both New York City and in Greece.  
     Her artwork has been featured in numerous national and international art exhibitions and venues including: Vital Space/Nature and Humanity, Brooklyn Historical Society; Brooklyn Old Stone House; Kentler International Drawing Center, Brooklyn; A.I.R Gallery, Brooklyn; AthensArt International Art Festivals: Odessa/Ukraine, Alexandria/Egypt, and Vienna/Austria; Macy Gallery, Columbia University, New York; Millbank Chapel, Columbia University, NY; Nancy Dryfoos and James Howe Galleries, Kean University, New Jersey; Empire Fulton Ferry State Park, Brooklyn; Governors Island, New York; Long Island Univeristy, Brooklyn; Goddard College, Vermont; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
     Samaras’ poems, texts and art activist projects have been highlighted in numerous publications and venues including: Gowanus Lounge, Brooklyn; Vital Space/Nature and Humanity; Erato; Inter-view Bulletin, Columbia University; Carroll Gardens Coalition for Respectful Development Blog, Brooklyn; Athens Journal of Social Sciences, Athens, Greece; Palmografos, Greece; Hellenic Voice, Boston; Goddard College, Plainfield, Vermont; The Brooklyn Paper; BCAT/Brooklyn Cable Access Television; Brooklyn Cable News12; Crains; MetroNY; Only The Blog Knows Brooklyn; New York Post; Brooklyn Daily Eagle; Daily Gotham, Sierra Club SIerran; Brownstoner; Curbed; the Brooklyn Daily; Time Out NY; the Haverhill Gazette, Haverhill, Massachusetts.
     Samaras is Adjunct Professor of Art at Kean University and Adjunct Professor of Art and Art Education at William Paterson University.

Contact:  Triada Samaras
Cell: 917 558 6157


Friday, March 6, 2015

"The State of Greece: Enoikiazetai/Poleitai- For Rent/For Sale" Opening Reception Tomorrow!

Hello!

My exhibition opens reception is tomorrow!  
You are all welcome to come and bring your friends and family.
There will be Greek food and music but Greek dancing?  
(No I believe we will have to skip the dancing we might crash into the art works!) 
I will be donating a portion of the proceeds to a Greek cause I am very fond of (more on that later)

There will be other art events on campus as well.


warmly, Triada
http://triadasamaras.com


Artist, Triada Samaras