It is rare to find a family so dedicated to art as the Paraskos family, headed by the well-known Stass
IT IS NOT often that an entire family follows the path of art but with the Paraskos family this is the case. Stass Paraskos, his wife, Mary, and two of his children, Stanley and Margaret, are exhibiting together for the first time, at the Kypriaki Gonia Gallery with the ‘Family Circle’ exhibition.
Stass became fascinated by art when he emigrated to England in 1941 and has been pursuing it ever since. He found that the creativity of art and the intellectuals that were involved in it “transformed” his life, as he puts it, and he soon changed his career from labourer to artist and university lecturer. He later studied Fine Art at the Kent Institute of Art and Design and went on to teach Fine Art in universities over England. He has held the position of Head of Painting at the Canterbury College of Art and is the founder of the Cyprus College of Art.
His “enthusiasm for art” had a great influence on his children and they soon shared his passion. Stass thinks it likely that artists’ children will either go completely against their parent’s aesthetic profession or be drawn to it. There have been families in the past that have shared an interest in art including the Bloomsbury group, which was largely made up of members of the Bell family. These artists were able to inspire, as opposed to repel, each other artistically, but this is not always the case. His son Michael, writer, art critic and art historian, calls his family’s common interest in art “very rare” and a “very interesting idea”.
Perhaps the children’s upbringing in England had something to do with their common fascination with art. Michael explains that his family always seemed to have something different about them. One difference was the fact that they were always surrounded by works of art, something that he doesn’t believe to be very common. Another, is that they were always having well-respected artists visit their home. Michael stressed that at the time none of them realised the difference, but that it undoubtedly shaped them as people. In addition, he also believes that their connection to Cyprus set them apart from most English people and that perhaps this led them to expressing this connection artistically.
When it comes to what kind of influence Stass’ art has had on his children, Stass is hesitant in commenting. He says that it would be “like sailing through dangerous straights,” because he “might patronise somebody”, or, worse still, “criticise too hard”. Michael, however, is able to see a “clear influence” in all the art works and comments more objectively. He sees a “common thread” of “bright colours, expressive details and a lyrical quality” and is convinced that this also has to do with all the painters’ love for Cyprus. He believes besides influencing each other, the whole family sees Cyprus, and all its splendour, in similar ways, hence the “common threads”.
Although these artists and family members do have a lot of similarities in their work, there are also marked differences. As an art critic, Michael is able to say that this is because of their dissimilar personalities, and how each artist’s work is affected by their own character. He illustrates this through explaining that Stass’ works are “concerned with village life and the people around him”, while Mary’s bring out an “archetypal mythology and strange creatures” through the medium of Cyprus’ beauty. Margaret, on the other hand, has elements of “love and emotion” that are evident in her work, and Stanley often leans towards abstract art and images of nature.
On the practice of art in general, Stass explains that “a few years back art was not considered a respectable profession. You couldn’t persuade a bank manager to give you a loan if you were a painter or a sculptor. The late Mr. Kanthos, as a young man in Famagusta, was embarrassed to say he was an artist and Diamantis in early days used to describe himself as a teacher. In England, prior to 1960s, very few middle-class families sent their children to colleges of art.
“The situation is different today. Art has become a respectable profession and some Cypriot artists have achieved wealth and fame of mythical heroes. The middle classes of Cyprus, swimming in money, are not worried if their children can make a living in art or not. They send them to study art and are proud of their status as artists. To some extent, this change in attitude is due to the excessive materialism in Cypriot society. Educated Cypriots feel the need for spiritual life.”
Fortunately, for the entire Paraskos family this means that they can respectably and proudly present that exceptional fact that they are all talented artists.
l Family Circle. An art exhibition with works by the Paraskos family. Ends March 3. Gallery Kypriaki Gonia, 45 Stadiou str., Larnaca. Opening hours: Monday-Saturday: 10am-1pm 4.30pm-8.30pm. Thursday: 4.30pm-8.30pm. Tel: 24 621109
Pictures can be found on www.gallerykypriakigonia.com.cy
