Michalis Economou, Ocean

A composition between representation and abstraction

The work Ocean is a seascape by Michalis Economou. The water element occupies almost the entire painting surface. Through a rich sequence of white and cyan hues, the painter captures the foamy waves crashing powerfully onto the shore.

It's a composition that boldly balances between representation and abstraction. Economou's brushstrokes, impasto and thick, exude a nearly tactile sensation. This way, the final result is an almost abstract colour mass.

Inspired by Japanese art

The way Economou depicts the waves in the Ocean brings to mind the Japanese ukiyo-e prints (“pictures of the floating world”) from the 1700-1900 period and particularly the woodblock print The Great Wave by Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849).

Initially, these prints were associated with the Buddhist view on the ephemeral nature of human existence. However, they later ended up symbolising more broadly our fleeting, fragile and ephemeral world.

The ukiyo-e prints had a great impact on French Impressionists. The teachings of Impressionists along with those of the Post-Impressionism movements shaped Michalis Economou.

The landscape as a mirror of the soul

The lyricism and sensuality Economou uses to captures the scene give the impression that the stormy sea has an almost existential resonance in his psyche.

The artist doesn’t merely capture the natural landscape, but his own emotional tremors, his own inner landscape.

His life in a nutshell

Michalis Economou (1888-1933) was born in Piraeus. His unique inclination towards painting became evident at an early age. While still in school, he studied under the prominent painter Konstantinos Volanakis.

In 1906 he went to Paris to study naval engineering at the École des Mines, following his father's wishes. However, the feverish artistic atmosphere in the French capital soon swept him away. He started moving in artistic circles and formed friendships with Periklis Vyzantios, Juan Gris and other painters. As a result, 3 years later, he gave up his studies and devoted himself to painting.

In 1913 he held his first solo exhibition at the Parisian Bernheim Gallery. At the same time, he took part in group exhibitions in Paris, London and Athens. In Greece, his first solo exhibition took place in 1926 at the “Parnassos” Literary Society. That same year, he settled permanently in Athens.

He continued to create and present his works until 1932, when he was admitted to Dromokaiteio Psychiatric Hospital. He remained there until his death a year later.

Artistic influences

Michalis Economou was undoubtedly one of the most significant figures who revived 20th-century Greek painting, mainly in the genre of landscapes.

His artistic style was influenced by:

• Impressionism
• The Post-Impressionism of Les Nabis
• The painting of the Synthetists

Favourite themes and artistic style

The landscapes of the Greek and French countryside were at the centre of Economou’s painting. Secluded, poor or even derelict houses located by the water’s edge and mirrored on its surface, boats and small churches surrounded by thin fog were recurring themes in his work.

However, these simple, almost mundane themes served as a pretext for the painter to capture his own emotional internal landscape.

To achieve the desired expressive result, Economou often used flannel, old bed sheets, kitchen tarpaulins and even rags, besides the traditional canvas and cardboard.

His compositions are marked by:

• Pale colours
• Shading
• Curvilinear shapes
• A dreamlike, poetic atmosphere

His intention was to offer a multidimensional, not merely visual, experience to viewers through his works.

The work of art in our publications

The work Ocean by Michalis Economou is referenced in the following Alpha Bank publications:

• The Alpha Bank Collection. Paintings – Prints – Sculptures , edited by Irene Orati.
  
  Buy the publication The Alpha Bank Collection. Paintings – Prints – Sculpture (only available in Greek) on the Alpha Bank e-shop.
  
  
• The Alpha Bank Collection. Greek Art from 1920 until Today, edited by Irene Orati. The publication accompanied the same-titled exhibition.
  
  Buy the publication The Alpha Bank Collection. Greek Art from 1920 until Today on the Alpha Bank e-shop.

In other literature

The work is also referenced in the catalogue of the exhibition “Michalis Economou: The alchemy of painting” that was presented at the Averoff Museum in Metsovo, from 30.09.2023 to 15.01.2024, and at the B & M Theocharakis Foundation in Athens, from 01.02.2024 to 12.05.2024.

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