Marina Koraki | Greece
.... don't forget to remember ...
Open Sky
Contemporary Art Station: Tell us about how you got started. When did you know you wanted to be an artist?
"I've always been concerned with humanity and how things always 'worked' on our planet. That's what I'm trying to discover and understand through my art, basic terms of existence. But maybe the real reason why I chose painting as a medium of expression is the fact that as far as I can remember myself I couldn't stop coloring every "available surface" I'd find in my house ...
CAS: What is your process like, from initial idea to the creation of the piece? Do you usually develop the idea for a project before you find the "canvas", or vice versa?
My ideas for each project are firstly developed in my mind, before choosing my "canvas". Of course, once the project is getting started to be materialised, various changes are possible to be made because of the inspiration I possibly get from the material I use
CAS: What do you love most about your creative process?
Οne of my most basic quests is to understand what the soul is. How the thickened energy becomes material, how the curvature of time enhances this sensation, and how do we end up taking the time in the three dimensional matrix ... For now I comprehend the existence of the soul as a light vibration. Furthermore, I want to imprint the infinite perception of space and time continuum and the philosophical perception that the original essence of everything is light energy, apart from the limited three
dimensional human vision. My way to materialize the beauty of the Cosmos creation is to use golden color and embossed textures with a geometric background and Art Deco influences as well. The golden color, although I am not a lover of the Byzantine art – which indeed has left an important “mark” in the history of art – for me it's the most appropriate color of imprinting firstly the infinite perception of space and time continuum, and secondly the essence of light energy. As for the “decorative” textures, they help me
illustrate the view that the rules governing the creation of the Universe are not based on material but on mathematics. But what I love most about my creative process is the study I do about symbolism, phsycology, religions and philosophy, to support my quest.
Kaleidoscope I
CAS: What role does art and the artist play in the broader social conversation today?
There's lot of pain and a lot of injustice all over our planet ... constantly ... but the truth, however, lies behind the obvious. We keep seeking for love and hapiness by becoming selfish and agressive... but the beauty and the harmony lie behind simplicity, behind every moment we breathe, behind every moment we make a choice . Don't forget to remember, we are nothing but water and stardust. For me the main role of the art and the artist is to remind to society what the true meaning of life should be not only for each one of us, but for all of us to coexist on this planet with harmony.
CAS: Name a few of your favourite artists and influences.
“Difficult to distinguish ... I'm very influenced by the ancient Greek architecture and art. As for favorite artists I would distinguish Nicolaos Gyzis, Angelos Panagiotou, Gustav Klimt. I also admire the Punchdrunk dance theater group for its multifaceted theatrical, artistic excellence.
CAS: What is the best advice you received as an artist?
It will sound as a clishe, but while I was a student in the Shool of Fine Arts in Athens, I had a very hard period trying to figure out what kind of art I should do in order to be modern (realism and romantisism were not really appreciated by the majority of my professors).And so I had second thoughts about my choice becoming an artist... I was really lucky to be a friend with Mr Aggelos Panagiotou, my favorite painter, a very important artist with an international reputation. What he advised me was really simple: truth can only be modern and original. What I oughted to do as an artist was just to be true to myself, to make art coming out from my heart.
CAS: When did you discover your voice as an artist?
Hmm.... I'm not very sure.... maybe the first time a friend of mine saw one of my paintings and she told me: "Dear, I was so sad when I woke up this morning thinking all my problems, but now, seing that paradise, you just made my day...! Thank you!"
Maybe then it was when I officialy chose to have an optimistic voice as an artist.
CAS: What advice would you give to emerging artists trying to find their own?
The same thing Aggelos had told me: to make art coming out
from ones heart, to speak to people's heart and start making a better world.
Since the Beginning
