MALICIOUS STROKES

The Greek artist Nick Lagos( born in Athens in 1970) trained as an architect. So it’s not surprising that his work abounds in structures and motifs that refer to construction and urbanism.
In his paintings (some of them of considerable dimensions ) it’s not always clear whether we’re dealing with an ideal or an alarming image of today’s social patterns.
For our intellectual comfort, we would be inclined to discern abstract fairytales in these colourful pictures, but – just a little too often – snakes appear in the grass. But that’s the kind of painting we like: the charming or the banal sabotaged by a few malicious strokes.

Like a purring cat that lashes out, like lightning and without any warning ; those razor-sharp claws remain a painful memory for a long time to come. In his work Nick Lagos also introduces fragments of text that only he can understand, but that have a strange sense of familiarity for the reader/viewer.

Often, these are merely words or phrases – such as “cow-boys”, “killer”, or “rush hour” – or first names : Nick, Ramon or Hana for example.
What depraved games are being played on those grounds plans, which sometimes look like board games? Who are the protagonists of this shadow theatre ?

Lagos hands us elements of a puzzle, a rebus. It’s up to us, as astonished spectators, to make these elements correspond to the tale we ourselves concoct : Only to realise, a little later, that we could ( or should ) just as easily have attributed a completely different significance to these strange paintings.

Yves de Vresse – for Deze Week – Brussels , 18.2.2007.

N I C K   L A G O S
Se reconnaissant de l'influence de Basquiat , la peinture de Nick LAGOS s'en détache pour autant par son style plus joyeux, plus Hip-Hop.

Il s'inscrit plutôt dans la ligne d'un New Pop-Art. Exubérance tant du trait que de la couleur,

Beaucoup de fenêtres. Des mots qui fusent, clin d'œil à nos jeux d'enfants, à la technologie actuelle, à lui-même.

Ne pas craindre de se laisser happer par ses toiles, sans réfléchir. Se laisser aller sans contrôle pour y entrer et ne plus en sortir.

Et quelque part, délirer avec l'artiste

***

In 1997, graduated from architecture N.T.U.A

Has been associated with many well known architectural offices in Athens and has been working solo in both architecture and building construction.

From 2002, is interested exclusively in painting.
In 2002 attends Athens School of Fine Arts under J. Psychopedis.
In 2006, graduates Athens School of Fine Arts.

In years 2005 and 2006, has been promoted for scholarship from the school.
In 2006, a group exhibition in Benaki Museum in Athens.
“Diadromes” architectural and painting exhibition, Patra.

Since the beginning of the year 2006, works with Contrast Gallery – Brussels.
January 2007, first solo exhibition , Contrast Gallery, Brussels – Belgium.