Yannis
Psychopedis (1945-)
Yannis Psychopedis is regarded as one of the chief Greek exponents of Critical Realism - an
artistic movement that flourished in Europe after the political and social revolutions of May '68. Student revolts
in France, the people's uprising in Czechoslovakia, and the 1967 military coup in Greece were catalysts for artists
to refuse to compromise their creativity. Critical Realists treated the image as a testimony to life's often harsh
or oppressive reality.
Nonetheless, Psychopedis' art is not merely political: his work reveals a unique relationship between the
creative act and the socio-political critique. Such was Psychopedis' art in the '60s and '70s.
In the '80s, Psychopedis turned to the intimate subject matter of female nudes. The use of colour pencils, which
create a 'fuzzy' visual impression, is characteristic of this period. In the late '80s, Psychopedis turned to
pastels and oils, adopting bright contrasts of pure colour in a period influenced by Van Gogh, as his series "Hommage a Vincent" reveals.
In recent years, the "Letter" series marked a new milestone in his oeuvre.
Between 1970-6, Psychopedis lived in Munich, Germany, where he did post-graduate studies at the Academy of
Fine Arts. In 1977, he won a scholarship and moved to West Berlin, where he lived and worked until 1986. A major
touring exhibition of his works was hosted in three West German museums (1980-81), while the Academy of Arts in
West Berlin organised a large solo exhibition in 1981.
In Greece, the Rhodes Municipal Gallery organised a retrospective of Psychopedis' work in 1987. A year later, the Pieridis Gallery in Athens followed suit.
In 1987, Psychopedis moved to Brussels. Since 1992, he lives and works mainly in Greece. In summer 1998, the
Kydonies Foundation on the island of Andros held a major Psychopedis exhibition entitled "Intersections" , within its annual "Ploes" show dedicated to major Greek artists.
