FOTINI HAMIDIELI is an
artist of rare breed in our era; one that assimilate all and every
step of her existence into a new form, though keep walking at the
same path she has chosen. Her strong personal style combined with a
self – referential context within her art, makes her work distinct.
Through our co-operation in Myrό Gallery
we did not just meet a great artist, but a great lady as well, having
the chance to discus on various subjects and aspects of the artistic
experience. This interview was then set up, concluding our
discussions and giving birth to others.
Interview to Paris
Kapralos
- How did your journey in
art begin?
My stay in New York and my
teenage years was a determining factor in my choice to deal both with
art as well as to find my place in it. I was
fortunate in visiting great exhibitions, like one of
Cezanne, organized by the Museum of
Modern Art in New York when I was 16 years old, and a little later a
retrospective exhibition of prints by Goya, another with drawings and
sculptures of Giacometti... These
were the initial experiences that triggered me to seek my position
for many years I tried to find where I belong, a procedure that
helped my first attempt to assimilate foreign environment, to feel
that "I belong. I moved to America at the age of 12 –
13 and that's something that marks you for life at
that age..
- What's
the focus in your artworks and how they have shifted during your
life?
My work is mainly
man-centered and turns around human figure. I have also created some
landscape works, due to a personal requirement that I had to work the
human figure in the presence of a natural model, a condition I was
not able to fullfill at all times. On the other hand, the landscape
was lways there for me, so, I did many landscaped lacking a human
model. Then came a period that I worked intensely with portraits as
well as with abstraction. However, when you re very young abstraction
is a bit difficult style to manage; as a matter of fact its an
extremely demanding style that requires experience and a maturity
that can not be found at an early age. The truth is that I do not
wish to have a specific goal when painting. I seek for no direction
apart from that the work itself as it develops can provide and I
prefer not to rationalize.
. 
- An element ever present
in your works is very distinct sketching...
There was a period that I
had abandoned sketching, though it still was significant within my
works in a substrate layer. En route I re-discovered it through
crayons and charcoal and the vigor of the simple line; I begun
utilizing the sketch once again. I wondered “how much can the
sketch be developed? I how many things can I do with it?”
Through the process you find out things...
. 
- So determinant in your
new series of works is not the way, namely the fact that the project
is more intense and "hard"....
My
designs may have a specific image
and figure, but often when I create my paintings thinking about
masses, concentrated forms and existence contrasts: the mass of white
paper and through the mass to arise or emerge figures. You can see
for example "black" from my new projects included in the
last report in my Myrό gallery, within
which a mass of lines through which flow into faces and forms is
illustrated clearly. In those works the feeling is not only cleared,
its appearing in a profound manner. When painting I had a
definite image in my mind. I started to paint a smudge, somewhat
inevitably, automatically and spontaneously. I saw the smudge like an
explosion went up, stretched. The existence of the head on top of the
mass, cut off from a complete figure was a shocking episode for me.
. 
-From the viewer's point of
view, your art till very recently seemed to belong to the figurative
area; only recently abstract elements have are found in your work,
seemingly with a renewed perspective...
Truth is I'm
somewhat feared of abstraction. When I younger there was a period
that the only thing I was working on was abstraction. Although I
started very well, the ending was not good. Very soon dried up,
because when you are young you do not have much to say in this way. I
think you have to have very good foundations
firmly inside you to do abstraction.
All these happened at my 22. Since then there are times I attempt to
go back to abstraction not to forward towards iit, bbut carefully,
little step each time; I must feel assured I can manage well.
Abstaction is not just aligned lines,
impressive colours and patterns: it requires comprehension, structure
and maturity. Otherwise it feels empty.
-Are there people with a
key role in your route?
The most significant
thing that really marked me was the death of my sister and not a
meeting with someone. Since then, painting
has been a mean of
communication and continuing relationship with my sister, as somehow
already constitutes an alternative way to communicate with my mother
who is currently not in a good
condition. Actually,
I think what turned me
to painting was my
attempt to communicate.
. 
-What was the part that leaving for the States played in the
development of your special artistic sight?
I
completed my studies in a highly innovative school. Our training is
not based on the acquisition of knowledge, but experience did not
emphasize the refinement of a given mode and route learning.
However the way we were taught, was extremely
free, open-minded and certainly effective.
We had the chance to study sketch with
models as much as maybe no other school of art worldwide.
We had so many options
to explore, we were
assisted to choose the path that suits us
really by the end of
the day, it was possible that we experiment
with a lot, without having anyone
telling us that “this the right thing to
do” and something else
is not. Every
artist must have strong foundations to build on, but the way you
acquire knowledge is never unique, in the same way there is no single
road to the truth for everyone!
-Tell us about the times
you've worked together with Dinos Christianopoulos....
The
first time I took part in an exhibition was in 1982, at “Mikri
Pinakothiki Diagonios”, which belonged to Dinos Christianopoulos.
It was a lifetime experience for me, not only
because it was the first time to exhibit but moreover because of the
co-operation with Christianopoulos himself, and many other artists,
writers, poets, musicians, all the Christianopoulos' personal circle
who had embraced his attempt to bring a new kind of cultural style to
the city of Thessaloniki. Great help, but
grave, rigorous severity. Every fortnight I would get him some of my
newest paintings to take a look; he would criticize them with
sternness, no matter who would be present. He used to put it with an
elegant humorous spice everytime he did that, so that the aftereffect
was not bitter: “This should be the
perfect ornament for sheep; it certainly will become them”,
“Oh that would be a marvelous addition for my
sheepfold in the village”... Comments
like that could be outspoken in front of anyone!
-Your path is somehow
double, after working for many years in education. How consistent is
the one object to the other?
I
work in education for 20 years. I work at the school and also
organize workshops for children. My path is not merely
parallel but complementary. You can experiment with another way I can
express myself more, and, ultimately, learn and gain a lot from my
interaction with the children. It's amazing to me that breathe
through these children. Its something to do with
their carelessness that renews me, while creativity and their joy in
being able to create things can “re-charge” the artist in a
unique manner. You feel that you really
communicate with someone who understands and feels deeply the way you
do whhen creating your works. The school and the teaching used to
frighten me for very long time before I make up my mind and start
teaching. I thought I would run out soon, and I avoided it for
several years; I was just teaching English for 11 years before I try
teaching art...
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