Glyn Hughes

23 April 2009
Home
21 May 2009
14 May 2009
07 May 2009
30 April 2009
23 April 2009
16 April 2009
09 April 2009
02 April 2009
26 March 2009
19 March 2009
12 March 2009
5 March 2009
26 February 2009
19 February 2009
12 February 2009
05 February 2009
29 January 2009
22 January 2009
15 January 2009
8 January 2009
01 January 2009
25 December 2008
18 December 2008
11 December 2008
4 December 2008
20 November 2008
13 November 2008
06 November 2008
30 October 2008
23 October 2008
16 October 2008
09 October 2008
02 October 2008
25 September 2008
18 September 2008
11 September 2008
04 September 2008
28 Auguest 2008
07 July 2008
31 July 2008
24 July 2008
17 July 2008
10 July 2008
03 July 2008
26 June 2008
19 June 2008
12 June 2008
05 June 2008
29 May 2008
22 May 2008
15 May 2008
08 May 2008
01 May 2008
24 April 2008
17 April 2008
10 April 2008
03 April 2008
27 March 2008
13 March 2008
06 March 2008
28 February 2008
21 February 2008
14 February 2008
07 February 2008
31 January 2008
24 January 2008
17 January 2008
10 January 2008
03 January 2008
27 December 2007
20 December 2007
13 December 2007
06 December 2007
29 November 2007
22 November 2007
15 November 2007
08 November 2007
01 November 2007
25 October 2007
18 October 2007
11 October 2007
04 October 2007
27 September 2007
20 September 2007
13 September 2007
06 September 2007
30 August 2007
23 August 2007
19 July 2007
12 July 2007
5 July 2007
29 June 2007
21 June 2007
14 June 2007
07 June 2007
31 May2007
24 May 2007
17 May 2007
10 May 2007
03 May 2007
26 April 2007
19 April 2007
12 April 2007
05 April 2007
29 March 2007
22 March 2007
15 March 2007
08 March 2007
01 March 2007
22 February 2007
16 February 2007
8 February 2007
25 January 2007
18 January 2007
11 January 2007
04 January 2007
29 December 2006
21 December 2006
14 December 2006
8 December 2006
1 December 2006
24 November 2006
16 November 2006
09 November 2006
02 November 2006
19 October 2006
12 October 2006
05 October 2006
28 September 2006
21 September 2006
07 september 2006
31 August 2006
24 August 2006
10 August 2006
3 August 2006
27 July 2006
20 July 2006
13 July 2006
06 July 2006
29 june 2006
22 June 2006
08 June 2006
01 June 2006
25 May 2006
18 May 2006
11 May 2006
04 May 2006
27 April 2006
20 April 2006
,
30 March 2006
23 March 2006

Those were the days

Tonight at the Evagoras Lanitis Centre - the Carob Mill, in Limassol – you can see ‘1960-1980 - Dialogue With Contemporary Currents in Art and Search for an Identity. Cypriot Artists Born Between 1929 and 1949.’

This has sparked memories of one of the greatest painters of the period. Here are memory notes on Christoforos Savva (d.1968) when I first met him.

There were no galleries in those days and the artists exhibited mostly at the Ledra Palace.

We both showed our work near the close of 1959. Mine was in the first week of December for five days.

I believe Diamantis had shown earlier in the year, possibly Kashalos as well.

Actually I already knew Diamantis and his wife, Nicoletta. They lived in Onasagorou Street, Nicosia.

Nicoletta used to make me kolokasi.

The walls of the Ledra Palace hotel were covered with beautiful brocade. You could not put nails through the fabric, so wall space was rare.

And I remember Pol Georghiou - a perfectionist - popping in one afternoon and re-arranging many of my paintings, which I had put neatly on chairs and he placed the canvases on the floor instead for better viewing. “Never on a chair,” he pronounced.

Prices were on application. Making no comment on my work, he nevertheless invited me to his studio whenever I was in Famagusta. I did go later and what a wonderful experience it was in the old part of town.

Being so impressed with Savva’s exhibition, I arranged to meet him for coffee in Lloyd George Square - which is now Solomou Square - and we decided there and then to make a decision and open a gallery called Apophasis which, of course, means Decision.

At that time Savva lived in Sophocleous Street near the Apollo Cinema but during that summer we moved to Apollo Street very near Lemonias restarant and Ledra Street.

This became Apophasis.

Savva was a true original.

He had personal and deep connections with French masters but his talents were noticeable well before he went to Paris. His colour was exceptional, both in paint and material.

His ability with fabric in collage is rooted in Cypriot folk work. There was a hidden strength in all of his works.

He also had a great deal of humour and was brilliantly descriptive.

At a rival group’s lecture, during the time of Jane Russell’s very wide skirt and low neckline, he commented to the leading lady: “Have you got your dress on upside down?”

Whilst viewing the textiles at Kaimakli last week, I kept remembering how he would pop into one of the many tailors in Nicosia in those days and bring back snippets of cloth for his appliques.

Stars were welcome at Apophasis and Savva had remarkable contacts. Sergei Bondarchuk gave a lecture at the gallery one evening.

For some reason or other I was asked to guard the gallery and stood there at the front entrance with his secretary. I still don’t know why.

They were strange times, the early Sixties. When, with Simone Burdeau, the French painter, we went to Beirut through UNESCO, I recognised a face at the exhibition. It was Philby, who later would be a front page photograph on all newspapers after he fled to

Moscow.

There was certainly a lot going on.

Meanwhile, Savva carried on painting.

 
 
©  27April2006   Art by Glyn Hughes - Cyprus weekly news paper           web creator  and updater V.P.Vasuhan -    http://vpvasuhan.tripod.com     @  redindian001   - Art work shop paris