AFFINITY GALLERIES
PROUDLY PRESENTS
My Cavafy: Stathis Orphanos and Hellenism
Opening Reception July 24th, 6:30 to 9:30pm
RSVP info@affinitygalleries.com
Exhibition from July 24th through August 28th 2010
Stathis Orphanos was born in North Carolina of Greek parents. Educated in the US he maintains his homes in California and on the Greek Isles of Somas. As a youth he acquired a Rolliflex camera and found small miracles in his first roll of developed film. Light and shadow combine with this sensibility for the perfect moment in his art. As a portraitist he as photographed famous writers, actors, athletes, and military that have been seen in galleries and museums. He is, along with his partner Ralph Sylvester, a publisher of fine edition books. His photos are on the covers of numerous volumes.
The Affinity exhibition is largely derived from his most recent book MY CAVAFY. In it verse of the famous Greek poet are an adjunct to photographs taken over a twenty year period. Orphanos has photographed many of today's top cultural and entertainment figures, including over one hundred authors such as Erskine Caldwell, John Cheever, Graham Greene, John Irving, Christopher Isherwood, Norman Mailer, Sir Stephen Spender, William Styron, John Updike, Gore Vidal, and Nobel laureates Odysseus Elytis of Greece and Naguib Mahfouz of Egypt. His portraits of famous artists and photographers include Don Bachardy, Leonard Baskin, Paul Cadmus, Horst P. Horst, David Hockney, Elaine De Kooning, Larry Rivers, and the legendary Greek painter and designer (for Maria Callas opera productions) Yannis Tsarouchis and couturier James Galanos. His show business portraits feature directors George Cukor, Jules Dassin, Costa Gavras, Jose Quintero, John Schlesinger, Roger Vadim, actresses Mamie Van Doren, Claire Bloom, Julie Harris, Lizabeth Scott, Melina Mercouri (former Minister of Culture of Greece), and "New Breed" actors such as Maxwell Caulfield and Esai Morales. . Also on exhibit will be his imposing folio limited-edition on the art of Yannis Tsarouchis, with tributes to him by Melina Mercouri (preface), Odysseus Elytis, Yannis Ritsos, Manos Hadjidakis, Mikis Theodorakis, Vangelis, Stavros Xarhakos, Michael Cacoyannis, Costa Gavras, Jules Dassin, Alecos Fassianos, and a host of international artists in all fields. All the contributors have signed colophon sheets for this edition, and they will be on display, along with mounted plates of Tsarouchis’ art. He has elicited praise from leading writers and art critics.
Tony Clark, Curator
Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Affinity Galleries, 7065 Lexington Avenue, West Hollywood, CA 90038
323-962-8506 Telephone 323-962-7270 Fax
www.affinitygalleries.com