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Foreword by Ian Courcoux and Pierre Diamantopoulo |
| It is three years since Pierre Diamantopoulo's astonishingly successful last solo exhibition here at the gallery. As you can see, the style hasn't altered too much - the same colourful, textural and dynamic sculpture and paintings which thrill the eye - but the subject matter focuses on a variety of aspects concerning horse and man, in most cases far removed from the 2006 show. |
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click on thumbnails for larger image and details |
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| A fair proportion of the past three years has been spent pitching for major public commissions. This is a very time-consuming business and Diamantopoulo's success in winning the commission for 'Kandi Sky', a 70ft x 35ft painted steel sculpture now standing proudly outside Middlesbrough College, will almost certainly open doors for further such works in the future. |
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Since 1989, Pierre has brought to his art the same highly imaginative qualities which won him many major international awards in his previous life as one of Britain's leading advertising copy writers. Apart from the pieces illustrated, there are others which will also truly excite the eye. However, I leave it to the artist to explain what it is all about!
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click on thumbnails for larger image and details
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| The theme for this show is largely focused around the horse: the horse as approached classically as, say, in the sculptures 'Etruscan' and 'Dun' and with a free hand in 'Caballo' and 'Rosinante'; then in the relationship between horse and rider, like 'Spanish Step'. |
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click on thumbnails for larger image and details
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| I have also explored this theme exotically as in 'Noir a Cheval' and 'The Wedding Umbrella' and 'The Turban Rouge' and also energetically in the Persian Polo Players. In other pieces, I have also tried to catch a more reflective, atavistic mood as evoked by 'Abelard and Heloise' and 'Chlorus'. |
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| The allegorical plays an important part in my exploration of the conjoining of man and beast in 'Zebraman', 'The Dream Weavers' and also 'Nijinsky' which, too, crosses the boundary between the human and animal spirit and physical power. |
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click on thumbnails for larger image and details
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| The theme carries over into the esoteric world of racing sport where my interest lies in the nature of colour and pattern using 2D decoupage (cut-outs) and later, into the almost quixotic - with the much more complex techniques used to make 'Tic-Tac', which is a balancing act and trick of the eye. |
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| The human figure also features as raw, quick clay sketches in 'Switchback' and later as a bit of escapism from the entire theme with 'Brothers Blue' and the improbably poised hares in 'Loop de Loop' and the cut-outs of the 'Junk'. |
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The paintings and drawings in the show reflect the energy of the 3D themes with oil pastels and oil on paper and canvas and are to me a liberation from the physical demands of sculpture and a celebration of all the colours that I love. Pierre Diamatopoulo ARBS |
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Click here to see details of Pierre Diamantopoulo's previous show (2006) |
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Nomads House High Street Stockbridge Hampshire SO20 6HE United Kingdom Tel 01264 810717 Fax 01264 810481 e-mail: courcoux@courcoux.co.uk http://www.courcoux.co.uk ©Pierre Diamantopoulo 2009 All Rights Reserved |
