PAROS THE LOVELY
A two-level exhibition will take place in Holland Tunnel Gallery this summer entitled “PAROS THE LOVELY” aiming to show the vanishing beauty of old Paros.
The first level will develop on the first floor of the Azari house and will include the work of three photographers: Susan Daboll, an American photographer who came to Paros in the 90s, documenting the home of a 94 year old friend, and preserving the raw beauty of an old farmhouse with still life photos of how it was, before it would all be gone. Liz Carson, the American photographer, who has lived in Paros since the 60s and has shot beautiful photos of rural scenes and Petros Avlitis who took many black and white photos of Paros in the 60s.
In display also Paulien Lether’s collection of old Paros’s postcards, that show the empty mountains, the town as it was with the little pond full of frogs, long gone, in the park in front of the Health Center that apparently might be the bus station!
The second level on the ground floor, in the main gallery, will include the ceramic sculptures of Nikos Voulgaris from Naxos and the paintings of two Parian folk artists, Nikos Karpodinis and Maria Agourou that Paulien Lethen wishes to keep together as a collection, to donate to Paros, if an appropiate location is found for them.
In order to cover some of the expenses, a packgage of photogrphs and a 2023 calendar with images of the shown works will be for sale.
July 27th to August 24th
www.hollandtunnelgallery.com
Press release
Η Πάρος η Ωραία – Paros the Lovely
Works by Nikos Karpodinis, Maria Agourou, Nikos Voulgaris, Susan Daboll, Elizabeth Carson and Petros Avlitis.
27 July – 24 August, 2022
Opening Reception: Wednesday 27 July 20:30 – 23:00
Gallery Hours: Wednesday through Saturday 20:00 to 23:00 & by appointment.
Closing Receptionς: Wednesday 24 August 20:30 to 23:00
Paros the Lovely – Η Πάρος η Ωραία, as it was called in ancient times, is the title of the Summer 2022 Exhibition at Holland Tunnel Gallery Parikia, Paros with six artists who have a close and long-term connection to Paros. Their work reflects and visualizes life on the island as it was.
Gallery director Paulien Lethen was a permanent resident of Paros from 1968 to 1982, when she moved to New York. She experienced the simple life in the country with oil lamps, water from a well, transport by donkey or on foot as there were only two cars on the island (taxis) and witnessed modern achievements come to the island – such as electricity, telephones, and running water – all while she saw tourism increase.
In this exhibition the viewer will jump back in time, to times that have disappeared. Located in the historical Azaris House in the center of Parikia, on the ground floor on view are paintings and sculptures, upstairs photographs in rooms that give an idea of what a 19th century house was like with antique furniture, lace curtains, wrought iron beds and the dining room set as to entertain with porcelain, crystal, silverware and oils lamps.
Paros the Lovely is a tribute to Paros. With this exhibition Paulien Lethen wants to give something back and thank the people from Paros, who have been generous to her and her family.
Paulien Lethen about the artists:
Susan Daboll helped me realize the photo project Dimitris House that I had wanted to do for a long time. Since the late ‘60’s I had been close friends with Dimitris Loukis, nicknamed ‘o Levendis’ (the party maker), a farmer from Marathi. He had a traditional farm above the ancient marble mine. In those days, I often went there with friends. We had his homemade raki, wine, bread, cheese and other meze (snacks), while storytelling, singing and dancing went on. When Susan came over from New York in 1998 to visit me on Paros, we went to Dimitris’ farm. He was then 94 and I wanted to preserve his way of life. He still made everything himself, grew vegetables and fruits, and had cattle. Dimitris is gone, the house is in ruins, but the photographs have captured how it was. For the first time we are presenting photos from this project. Since 1998, Susan Daboll has been living alternately on Paros and in New York.
Nikos Karpodinis was the well-known shoemaker. Everybody loved him. He passed away some years ago at a very old age. When he wasn’t repairing shoes, he was painting colorful, happy scenes of Paros life on cardboard in his workshop behind the Market Street in the center of town. Fishing boats, windmills, animals in fields, churches and people are common subjects. I often went by to visit. His little handmade work stool, that I saved, will also be in the exhibition.
Maria Agourou was a painter from Marpissa. She passed away years ago at an old age. As a young woman she went to Athens to become a hatmaker. When she was older she returned to Paros, where she began to paint in a former barbershop, situated in the corner of an old café in the center of Marpissa. I visited her regularly in her studio, which was packed with wonderful paintings about Paros, scenes of grape stamping, the four seasons, family life, women with hats, and even a nude!
Elizabeth Carson came in 1970 from New York with her husband, the poet Jeffrey Carson, to settle on Paros, where we became friends. Her work has been regularly featured in Holland Tunnel Gallery. In this exhibition a selection of black-and-white photographs from her series Heroes of the Soil (Parian agriculture from the 70’s), Stone Translucence (antique carvings in Parian marble) and pieces from her Paros Church of the Hundred Doors, 1700 Years series will be on view. Elizabeth and Jeffrey Carson live on Paros.
Petros Avlitis, from Paros, collects photographs of Parikia from the 20th century: the town, the people, the waterline and the landscape. The beautiful atmospheric black-and-white photographs reflect the dreamy peacefulness of empty mountains, the quiet harbor and streets without tourists, all things that have become almost impossible to imagine nowadays. The photos of Petros Avlitis are a well-kept secret and they have never been shown in an exhibition before, I’m happy to be able to share them in this exhibition. Petros Avlitis lives and works on Paros.
Nikos Voulgaris is a painter and sculptor who lives and works on Naxos. His work has been represented regularly in Holland Tunnel. Although he is not connected with Paros the way the other artists are, I am pleased to include his unique ceramic sculptures in this exhibition. The powerful mysterious figures have influences of different cultures: Cycladic as well as African and South American.
The shown works of Nikos Karpodinis and Maria Agourou are part of my private collection and are not for sale. During the exhibition, a calendar and postcards of works by Nikos Karpodinis will be available in a special gallery edition.
Azaris House || Parikia City Center || Paros
Email: hollandtunnelart@gmail.com
Telephone: +30 6944 919445