Varvara Roza Galleries Present: PHILIP TSIARAS: “TOPOLOGIES 1990-2023”

Philip Tsiaras ‘Phoenix’, 2004. Courtesy Varvara Roza Galleries

Varvara Roza Galleries, exclusive representative of Philip Tsiaras, in collaboration with The Blender Gallery, proudly announce a major historic exhibition by the internationally acclaimed artist, Philip Tsiaras, titled “Topologies 1990-2023”. 

Philip Tsiaras“Topologies 1990-2023”. will run from 22nd May until 8th June, 2024 at Varvara Roza Galleries, 8 Duke Street, St. James's, SWY1 6BN, London.

This exhibition is a historic survey of the paintings by the internationally acclaimed, New York artist, Philip Tsiaras, entitled Topologies 1990-2023. The Topologies of Philip Tsiaras are a complex body of his historic paintings that encompass over 30 years of artistic development. The paintings are a synthesis of the bold figuration and visceral abstraction in a single painting.

During the Gulf War in the early 90s, Tsiaras ,who believes the artist is also a chronicler of his time, began painting airplanes from the thousands of flying sorties seen daily.

“I wanted to balance the media chaos on canvas and challenge my own perception of war.” What evolved was a painterly language filled with layers of information, and mixed with a personal fascination in theoretical math, specifically topology. Loosely put, topology explores continuous deformations of stretching and bending of lines. When connected to art, it intertwines abstract concepts of space, connectivity, and form. They are what Tsiaras calls “my smart paintings”. Philip Tsiaras

The Tsiaras Topologies begin with a detailed geometric substructure, an underpainting of diamonds, squares, intersecting lines, and orbs. Tsiaras appears to purposely obscure the mythological, exalted subject — an airplane, a head, a vase or a horse — with rich levels of abstract painting, while secretly revealing unexpected objects that emerge to ground the viewer in reality — a hammer, a French curve, a gun, a knife, or a bottle of Coca-Cola. Embedded throughout all the Topologies is Tsiaras’ gestural handwriting, an intimate illegibility, that Donald Kuspit calls “mysterious calligraphy, not unlike that of Kufic writing in Medieval art.” Kuspit continues, “In fact, Tsiaras succeeds in giving the objects a specific emotional tone — usually aggressive, but always with a libidinous dimension.”

The Topologies of Tsiaras are a Gesamtkunstwerk spanning more than 3 decades of continuously evolving, evocative paintings.

Angel ‘LA II’ Ortiz ‘The Great Collaborator at D'STASSI Art

Mr Doodle & Angel Ortiz

D’Stassi Art will open the doors of their flagship gallery in Shoreditch, London for a major new Angel ‘LA II’ Ortiz exhibition. ‘The Great Collaborator’ opens on May 10th, 2024 and will bring together some of the most renowned names in street art; STIK, Shepard Fairey, Mr.Doodle, and Mark Kostabi, all working collaboratively with the legendary Angel ‘LA II’ Ortiz. 

‘The Great Collaborator’ will also feature a series of rare collaboration artworks between Angel and the late Richard Hambleton, made before Hambleton’s death in 2017. ‘The Great Collaborator’ exhibition is set to be a truly unique experience, as these giants of Urban art come together for the first and only time.

The featured artists are; Angel LA II Ortiz and STIK, Richard Hambleton, Shepard Fairey, Mr Doodle and Mark Kostabi collaborations with Angel. More than 30 artworks will be exhibited ranging from originals to prints and works on paper. 

'The Great Collaborator' showcases Angel's significant contributions to the art world and his profound influence on other major artists. Angel rose to prominence in the New York art scene in the 1980’s through his almost decade-long partnership with Keith Haring. Haring spotted Angel’s tag shortly after moving to New York and sought out the then teenaged artist. After meeting, the pair combined their signature styles on paintings, sculptures and clothing taking them across the world. 

“When I do hang out and collaborate with artists, I make sure they're the best of the best.” Angel Ortiz

D’Stassi Art is dedicated to honouring Angel’s artistic legacy and celebrating the magic he brings to collaborative works. Visitors to the exhibition will be able to witness first hand the impact LAII has had on the next generation of artists, and discover the inspiration behind his iconic style that has captivated audiences for over four decades.

D’Stassi Art Directors Michael Howes and Edward Sanders explain: “‘The Great Collaborator’ exhibition will mark our most exciting exhibition to date. It is a privilege to be part of Angel’s incredible story and to have such respected and successful artists supporting Angel and the gallery. This feels like a significant milestone for D’Stassi Shoreditch. This exhibition will truly be a once in a lifetime opportunity to showcase a fraction of the incredible influence and inspiration Angel has shared with his peers over the last 40 years from tagging in the streets of lower east side with ‘TNS’ and SOE Angels best friend of 40+ years (who we will be flying over to DJ on the night). To see him creating new unseen collaborative works with legends like STIK and Shepard Fairey is a true sign of his long overdue renaissance and is a testament to Angel’s legacy amongst his peers.” 
“LA II has collaborated with so many great people over the years, and frequently he's seen as someone that's elevated by the people he's collaborating with, whether that's Keith Haring or Andy Warhol. But I think now his aesthetic is established enough that it's time for him to be looking to the younger generation to be the mentor for the next version of himself.”  Shepard Fairey

“I saw a picture of Angel outside of a long mural with a black background and neon fluorescent colours. It felt very alive. You could feel the energy of the lines talking to you, and I was really connected with that and I really enjoyed his work ever since; it makes me happy. It makes me smile. And that's what I want my work to be like: to make people smile and happy. And it's great to be working with him. Really great!”  Mr Doodle

“It's a revelation to collaborate with Angel. He has a natural magic touch. He understands visual power. It's instantly recognizable. It's full of energy. He's taken paintings of mine that I thought were finished, but something was lacking and he'll truly finish it. And then it's so much better than before. This idea of how artists naturally gravitate towards each other; They naturally collaborate and things evolve. They mutate. I think seeing that over the course of so many years is really exciting, and it should be like a living organism with some new blood.“ Mark Kostabi

Angel Ortiz photographed by Zie Otto

Bowman Sculpture Sets New Standards at Leading International Art Fairs with Exclusive Solo Booths Dedicated to Rare Works by Auguste Rodin

Bowman Sculpture continues to redefine the art fair experience by showcasing exclusive solo Rodin booths at leading international art fairs, setting new standards for artistic excellence and curation. 

At the recent TEFAF (The European Fine Art Fair) in March 2024 Bowman Sculpture proudly presented a solo booth in the fair’s new Focus section dedicated to the timeless masterpieces of Auguste, and particularly those works relating to his first major commission for the French government in 1880 La Porte de l’Enfer (The Gates of Hell). The booth offered visitors an unparalleled opportunity to immerse themselves in the sculptural brilliance of Rodin's iconic works, curated meticulously in chronological order showing his progression as a sculptor over the years in both technique and inspiration.

Auguste Rodin, Le Penseur (The Thinker), petit modèle with rounded base, conceived circa 1880-1881; the reduction created in 1903. This is one of only six lifetime casts made between 1903 and 1914, bronze with brown patina, height: 14 3/4" (37.6 cm). 

The highlight of the stand was one of only 8-lifetime bronze casts of the ‘Thinker’ in the reduced size. this example is only one of six examples in existence which were cast by Rodin’s favourite foundry Alexis Rudier between 1903 and 1914.

Building on this success, Bowman Sculpture is thrilled to announce its participation in the upcoming art fair in Taipei between May 10th and 12th 2024, where it will once again host a solo Rodin booth, with several rare examples of Rodin’s sculpture, including, an important complete set of the Burghers of Calais, all cast within Rodin’s lifetime, a lifetime 1st reduction Kiss, the largest size available on the market today and the rare lifetime cast of the Thinker.

The Taipei Dangdai Art fair is scheduled to open on the 10th of May alongside the inaugural exhibition at the Fubon Art Museum on the works of Auguste Rodin, the Fubon Art Museum, designed by the renowned architect Renzo Piano promises to be a monumental addition to Taipei's cultural landscape.

"These solo Rodin booths not only celebrate the enduring legacy of one of history's greatest sculptors but also demonstrate our commitment to providing audiences around the world with unparalleled access to exceptional works of art," say Robert and Michele Bowman

Bowman Sculpture invites art enthusiasts and collectors to experience the transformative power of Rodin's sculptures at these prestigious art fairs. From the historic halls of TEFAF to the innovative spaces of the Taipei Dangdai Art Fair in Taiwan. 

For more information about Bowman Sculpture's participation in upcoming art fairs and exhibitions, please visit bowmansculpture.com or contact mica@bowmansculpture.com.

Bowman Sculpture has also announced an upcoming solo exhibition of Auguste Rodin’s sculpture this summer in London entitled ‘Faces and Fables: Rodin's Portraiture, Great Commissions, Mythology, and Sculptural Innovations.’ This captivating showcase will delve into the multifaceted world of Auguste Rodin, one of the most revered sculptors of all time.

Scheduled to open on the 20th of June and running until the 19th of July, ‘Faces and Fables’ is a free public exhibition that will offer visitors a comprehensive journey through Rodin's artistic evolution. The exhibition will feature a stunning array of 30 sculptures from his earliest works through to the final pieces of his career and will centre around themes of Rodin’s portraiture, his most famous monumental commissions, mythological sculptures, and his innovative use of assemblage techniques that epitomize his mastery of the medium and which pushed the boundaries of artistic expression long before such techniques gained widespread recognition in the art world.

"We are thrilled to present 'Faces and Fables” says Robert Bowman. "This exhibition covers a wide range of Rodin’s sculptures from his early romantic pieces to his almost abstract works. As collectors will appreciate, it takes many years and some wonderful connections built up over a lifetime to be able to amass a group of works of this quality. It has been over five years since our last purely Rodin exhibition here in the gallery and I am excited to show this collection of exceptional sculptures to the world.”