Bold Painter and Sculptor Jannis Kounellis

Once featured in EYES IN edition 11 (available on iTunes and the Nook), now artist Jannis Kounellis introduces his old bold 70s and 80s style with today's standpoint. See the video above where EYES IN Editor-in-Chief Vivian Van Dijk reviews the artist's work in Aug. 2011 (Gallerie LeLong, Paris, France).

Considered a protagonist of Arte Povera, an art movement that emerged in Italy during the 1960s, Jannis Kounellis embarked on his artistic career by creating some of the most radical art works of the time. Often combining the inanimate and animate, he boldly incorporated things such as propane torches, plants and animals as integral if not vital parts of his works.

He also introduced the notion of performance within works of art, something that to this day continues to inspire artists around the world. In all these works Kounellis drew from his deep knowledge of and sensitivity to cultures of the past and his own heritage, in itself a spirited discussion between collective and personal experiences.

The exhibition at Parasol unit aims to consider Kounellis’s early works from the 1960s, 70s and 80s and his own response to them from today’s standpoint, which often culminates in a more recent and spontaneous work. This juxtaposition of works of art from the different decades should thus engender an arena for discussion. On show will be works, such as "Untitled (Carboniera)," 1967; "Untitled (steel plate and braid),"1969, on loan from Centre George Pompidou, Musée national d’art; "Metamorphosis," 1984, and "Untitled," 1977, an electric train moving on steel plates installed around one of the pillars of the Parasol unit gallery.

Born in 1936 in Piraeus, Greece, Kounellis moved to Rome in 1956, where he still lives and works. In recent years, Kounellis has had numerous solo exhibitions internationally, including, among others, at Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin, 2007; National Centre for Contemporary Art, Moscow, 2011; Today Art Museum, Beijing, 2011; and Museum of Cycladic Art, Athens, 2012.

Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art will present a solo exhibition of works by painter, sculptor and performance artist Jannis Kounellis from Nov. 28, 2012 - Feb. 42, 2013.

Founded in Dec. 2004, Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art is an educational charity registered in England and Wales and operates purely for the benefit of the public. Every year the foundation organises four exhibitions in a variety of media and also sets up other artistic projects. Each gallery exhibition is accompanied by a publication and a related educational events programme. The foundation does not bear the founder’s name, and its exhibitions are not derived from the founder’s own collection. Parasol unit is thus a new model of collaboration between private funding and public support.

Images Courtesy: Parasol unit