"Memories" of Dimitris Milionis

In Dimitris Milionis' most recent paintings the traces of Greek culture are more than obvious; they symbolize references to the Greek cultural traditions, the Byzantine art of icon painting and the miniature paintings of the Middle Ages. At the same time they are simple geometrical compositions with a strong surrealistic blend. Characteristic samples of the artist's work we have the opportunity to see at www.milionis.org

Seascapes, the Aegean Sea, the coasts with the kiosks that remind of pictures from the times of Orthodoxy, as they are imprinted in icons. Scenes of feasts with bottles of wine, flowers in the vases and kites flying in the sky, become one with religious festivals and rituals that take place in sacred places.

The absence of people as part of the landscapes and the presence of surreal details in the compositions strengthens the sense of no-time. Human action is implied on the kites in the sky, the children's balls on the ground. For the artist, the curtains in motion symbolize life, human or divine mysteries that unfold within the buildings.

Everyday life and religious feeling is strongly connected. The classic pediment is symbol of love; it is the heart. The Fish, a timeless Christian symbol is linked to the watermelon, the peer and other fruit, all symbols of fertility in western European painting.

This scene-painted reality -a composition of memories and experiences that reminds the viewers of the works of personal voyages and stories like those told more or less by the patrons of fish taverns and cafes in the west, when a new promising day starts leaving behind the present.