The Large Piece of Turf Run Over By a Tyre in Spring

"Asphaltografics" is a series of landscape still life paintings, with the artist's radically new technique based on car tyres, and more recently bicycle tyres. In the Anthropocene Age, the destructive imprint left by the automobile is clearly visible around the globe. For the “Asphaltografics” series, the car tyre becomes a brush: an unorthodox new tool that rolls paint across a canvas. When it is rolled across a surface, floral shapes and plant mutations emerge, thus closing the cycle, at least on a creative level. Converted into stamps, the tyres recreate the nature they have destroyed and flattened. It is not the painter’s handwriting or brushwork that is relevant here, but the imprint of the tyre treads, which are ironically originally modelled on plant structures. For this series, the artist used a watercolour painting by Dürer as a template: his nature study "Great Piece of Turf" from 1503. Panagiotidis questions: "How would Dürer, this realist, have reacted to the changes in our environment? I made four variations of the same theme, with the colour synthesis representing the four seasons." 

Babis Panagiotidis 

Babis Panagiotidis work explores notions of the Anthropocene with a question of life at its centre. Notions of sustainability weave into his visuals along with a recognition of the environment in past, present and future. Taking inspiration from great artists from history, such as Albrecht Dürer, Panagiotidis' work sits itself within a historical lineage through contemporary issues.

Panagiotidis has been involved in visual culture beyond the fine art world. Having experience in graphic, stage and costume design, the artist's work is built on a multidimensional base.  

Based on our agreement with the artist, 15% of the pre-VAT price excluding frames will be donated to support the social movement. Donation will be given to Julie's Bicycle.