We live the era of fakesInterview to George Karouzakis for the newspaper ELEFTHEROTYPIA , 22/11/1996

In the fullness of time the need became urgent to exceed two dimensions and transform them to sculpture. The word is about Costis Georgiou.

Wandering for years the inner paths of two dimension frames he now meets the challenge with open space and deals with a hard material, such as iron, trying to discover its plasticity; with massive, breath-taking works, exceeding 12m height, he now tries to define a new scale. The outcome is the establishment of a dramatic style in three dimensions, well known in his work, and a new exhibition, under the title "Rhapsody of the Present" at the Titanium-Gallery until the end of November. His sculptures will travel in February all the way to Madrid to be exposed at the international Art Fair of ARCO. About his choice over animals he would say in bewilderment: "It was not intended....it is probably because animals are the most attacked species in this world".

- Do you believe that your relation with sculpture in these past three years is different than the one with your painting?
- There?s always a sense of complicity between the creator and the spectator. There?s always a binding bridge between silence and speech. I communicate through this bridge. The difference lies upon the fact that someone who possess a painting can keep it to himself in private, maybe in his bedroom since nobody enters this room, whereas a sculpture is more like a pet; it receives new dimensions, becomes one with the surroundings. This fact is for me a great challenge. In the end I find sculpture and painting two inseparable parts of artistic expression. Two pieces supporting one another.

- I assume you don?t feel you gave up painting for sculpture.
- I?m charging my batteries in general. Everything that characterizes my work first appeared in painting and was passed on to sculpture. This time things will go the opposite way. In fact I can?t wait to go back to my brushes As soon as the exhibition is over, I will get back to a more charged atmosphere in painting. I didn?t do it though in order to attain this. I?m in favor of letting things follow their course.

- It is obvious, the size of your works demands an open public space. Would you like to see this happening?
- Yes I would, but not out of vanity. This would simply mean for me that the works would be exposed in an environment which would let their natural size come into right proportion.

- Is it wrong, according to your opinion, to be vain or just ambitious?
- Look, things have become ambiguous lately. There is a prevailing sense of what ambition and carrier mean which is totally wrong. I see people all around me, young and elderly people pushing each other and I?m not so sure if this pushing about leads to a clear perception over matters.

- Why do you think indeed there are so many artists, so many painters?
-Because we live the era of fakes. The art world suffers the most because anybody can pass on or say anything claiming of ....doing art.