Artist in conversation: Antonis Tsarouchas
Published artist in more than 40 magazines and galleries worldwide. Exhibited in Berlin, Rome, London, Thessaloniki.
Follow Antonis here.
- Welcome to The Holy Art. Could you tell us a little more about your background, and how did you begin creating
art?
Well, I was born in 1993 in Greece, in a small town near mountain Olympus, in a “city” called Leptokaria. I have a brother and a sister and my family was below middle class , so I used to work in random jobs. I was that person in an under-developed city, that always has big dreams and outside of the box ideas but always dont have the right tools to express his personality or his vision. The time that I started to create art, it was when the economic crisis occured in Greece, around 2008 and my parents went to live and work as immigrants in Germany. As you understand, all of sudden I wasnt who I thought I was, I dropped out of university because I couldnt afford to study and my journey as an artist started. But, before that , I always saw pictures in my every day life, I used to look at a person and I was thinking “Wow, that person with this outfit and in this scenario, could be the perfect image” i dont know why but I always liked to look at a person and imagining his/her life, it was like I was part of it. Ultimately, I started creating art when I had nothing to lose, I didnt have any money. Any plans, or anything to wait, so I thought, I had 1 in 400 trillion chances to be born, I can be an artist.
- What art do you most identify with?
Thats a tricky question for me, I see myself as an artist and I use photography to express myself, but it is more than this. I believe, that I identify with any kind of art that hits my nostalgia, guilts, lost dreams, fears, life, , or any spiritual aspects of myself. But if I had to picked one, that would be Surreal Art, in any way, photography, video etc.
- Can you describe one artwork or series from your oeuvre that you feel was pivotal in your career?
It was 3 photos, 3 photos that I Created, that gave me that extra Step to move forward in my career. Those 3 photos, I created them Back in my early stages as an artist and I didnt know what they meant, or how to use them and then I thought, all These 3 artworks are expressing the fakeness and the trapped people in this world, these artworks are shapeless, They hide their true identity, if there is one, so these 3 artworks are like life, they cant fit in a single project, but they can always describe something that happens in someone’s life.
- Which other great artists inspire you and why?
In my field I would say by far Helmut Newton, but he dont inspire me, he is my motive to be better. Artists that inspire me are Jim Morrison and Kanye West. Morrison inspired me to be romantic with my art, to live a life that everything doesnt matter, there are no rules or stereotypes, you are just a glimpse in the universe, so everything you do is nothing but important at the same time, for me he was the best and the most completed artist that ever lived and he supported that statement with his personal life and views and with his art that left behind. Kanye at the other hand, was my shot in the morning to get me going, he helped me at my lowest moments of my life to see myself as if was in the process of being someone great. He showed me that regardless what people say to you, you can be whoever you want to be, even if people call you crazy, or weird, if you believe and you are focused on your vision then people will love you art, cause none of us know what we want, but If we see it, we can immediately identify it.
- Can you talk about the process of creating your work?
To be honest, there is no process. I don’t create with logic or a certain way. All my artworks are like an orgasm, they come instantly and are completed in my head just like that. If my emotional trip or my ideas that create a certain mood can be considered a process, then this is my process. In a more literal way, my process of creating work, is that I need music to create a scene in my head, cigarettes and a boosted ego, then I can build my scene and pick my camera up.
- What advice would you give to emerging artists entering the art world?
No advice, this world is lived by people, so this world are run by the same people that failed or succeed in something. There is no right path or wrong path. Art is like life, random and unique. If I had to give an advice that would be, don’t take any advice.
- What do you hope that the public takes away from your art?
I hope the people who see my art, in a gallery, or in a magazine, can take away the food for thought I try to install in my artworks. I always create something when Im feeling in a certain way, either moody, sadness , lust, guilty, vain, loneliness or nostalgic, so those feelings are part of everyone’s personal life, so anyone can interpret them. But my biggest hope, is that people can understand that I am hiding behind my artwork and ultimately can see me as I truly am.
- Describe a real-life situation that inspired you?
I cant describe any particular situation that inspired me, but I can tell you this, my biggest inspiration was the fact that I was always an outsider, that kid that was not supposed to be here, that broke kid with no money, without any chance to succeed, that in any situation I was the one that didn’t belong there but somehow I was. Also, I got to thank my bullies or all the rich people that made me feel uncomfortable and unwanted, because they created some situations that made me feel like a garbage, in a way they prepared me for the concept of life and gave me a starting point, in order to create and believe in myself. So, my inspiration was the misery that I lived.
- What is your dream project?
My dream project is to create an audio-visual event, that people could come and feel like they are partying. I want to create a theatrical exhibition with Acts like an ancient Greek drama. The people will wear masks in order to feel free from the pressure of a certain identity that society forced them to carry. A large space, with big screens, lights and music, all my artworks will be featured there and all the people that are in it, will be standing in front of them like sculptures, to remind people that art is alive. No cellphones, no cameras, like a mystic event to embrace the concept of life and spirit. A unique experience for unique people that we all are.
- Finally, are there any projects you are currently working on and able to speak about?
The fact is that I started a recent project, this project called “Genuina Captis” , the theme would be “ordinary” people in their ordinary life, in any aspect that they might have. It would be accompanied with a photo series and a short film, I hope I could say more but its too early.