Nature vs Architecture 7 | Paper collage on canvas, 2020 | 24” x 24”
Minas Konsolas was born in Greece and has lived in Baltimore since 1976, where he graduated from the Maryland Institute, College of Art. He is the former owner of Minas Gallery, an outlet for poetry, both visual and verbal. The gallery, one of Baltimore's alternative art spaces, was a gathering spot for artists, writers and performers for twenty-two years. He subsequently sold his business and now works full-time from his studio in Charles Village.
Konsolas has participated in two public mural projects for Baltimore City, in Greektown and at the Farmers' Market. His work has appeared in numerous literary journals, including Little Patuxent Review and Passager. His original artwork and reproductions are widely collected, locally, nationally and abroad.
Konsolas is known for employing a variety of artistic styles and techniques, which allows his work to continually evolve. His constant focus is how light interacts with color and form.
Heraclitus' theory about the harmony of opposites proposes that opposing forces are interconnected and interdependent. Their tension and conflict lead to a balanced and harmonious whole. Thinking vs feeling, rational vs irrational, hot vs cold, wet vs dry, chaos vs order. With a diverse range of influences, I examine the two-way relationship between us and nature. Nature is us and we are nature. I challenge the traditional notion of representation. I use colors, shapes, lines, and forms to evoke emotions. This allows viewers to interpret every painting in their own way.
Light by itself is not visible. It is the energy of particles and frequencies. We only see the objects that receive it.
My paintings are an act of thought, where I co-exist with landscape and light. These works are not an exact representation but a subjective personal reality, reduced to its essence. They are the encounter of horizontal and vertical lines plus the interaction of color, light and form.
My ultimate objective is the creation of emotion and beauty visible to you, the viewer, as I understand them.
In this series, the two universes of gardening and painting come together as a mediation on the process of making something by using your hands. Both gardening and creating an image on an empty canvas require a love of beauty, the right tools, and the will to realize an idea by applying your time and creative energy.
I hope the results of my efforts have the power to leave you with a pleasant memory. Take a moment to experience this work as a spirited, harmonious, and colorful garden tour. Enjoy!
In his series, A Place Under the Moon, Minas Konsolas recalls locations he has visited, during his life and travels, from a perspective of poetic sentiment and love. Each image – a combination of paper collage and pastels on canvas – shows a vibrant outdoor setting where nature predominates, and solitude and quiet are implied through the calm and harmony of the visuals. Though it is a world inhabited by humans, their presence is only implied by structures or paths they have left behind. In one image, Great Blue Heron, humanity has no foothold at all.
~ Richard Brett, Associate Professor of Communication
and Cinema, McDaniel College
With the increasing awareness of the impact of human activities on the environment, the relationship between architecture and nature plays a major role as to how we see the future of our planet. X-Activism is how I describe the process of creating this body of work. Form, light and color come together in harmony and balance for an ideal and sustainable coexistence. I want the visual dialogue on my canvas to translate into words and action in our every day routine.
In this body of work, Konsolas works with collage, paint, and other mixed media, creating expressionistic scenes employing a combination of divergent yet complimentary forms, textures and vibrant colors with an emphasis on well-defined edges and lines. His images depict figures engaged in activities of relaxation. In his indoor scenes, the walls of the rooms these characters inhabit feature frames that might be pictures, doorways, windows, or portals into entirely different spaces; it is often left for the viewer to decide. Using an Exacto knife for precision cuts in his materials, Konsolas employs a technique of clean, clear definition he has termed Exactivism. (by Richard Brett)
This body of work explores collage.
I believe that architecture is an integral part of our culture. It has been called the mother of all arts. It touches the soul. It is a tangible manifestation of human imagination. It is a major influence on a city’s image and its people, in both positive and negative ways.
By working with collage on canvas, I create a warm, patchwork effect, reminiscent of a comfortable quilt. These pieces are my way of embracing the city that I love so much.
This is my attempt to express a heartfelt connection to Baltimore, my adopted hometown. Please join me in celebrating the beauty of Baltimore’s architecture.
Vision is a tool for artists. Its normal and abnormal characteristics may influence what an artist can do. My high- risk glaucoma and dry eyes diagnosis has a lot to do with what you see in this series .
Pointillism, or divisionism is a style which involves the separation of colors into individual dots. A thousand points of light made by a spectrum of diverse shades, hues and intensities. Once on the canvas, the viewer is invited to optically mix them into one image. Chromoluminarism is a term used in mosaics..
Repetition, rhythm and pattern are part of every action of labor, every form of expression and many parts of nature. There is no golden ratio in this body of work, unless you see one. What appear to be more obvious are the playful color motifs in a sequential mathematical order. My intent is to create a field of energy that engages the viewer in more than one way. Roll with it.