The “Road” by Andreas Embirikos

I first listened to a recording of “Dromos” in the early 1970s, and read it for the first time in 1974, when it was published in “Tram”. The act of reading the text caused me to relate to it in a different way. Seeing all those locations and names in print, those words, simply as words, were images. A little later I decided to create a work, making 39 small paintings exclusively of the names and locations mentioned in the poem. I made 2 or 3 small portraits, but I didn’t pursue it; my life and my work were dominated by other priorities at the time. 

In 2006, while working on Vassos Kapantais’ exhibition for the Benaki Museum, I decided, almost thirty years later, to pick up where I had left off. I found my notes from 1976 (?). I decided to enhance the original catalogue and make 64 images. The framework and the concept remained the same; I simply added certain faces without names, i.e. gondolier, unknown poet, etc, and filled in some gaps from the first catalogue. The work consists of 64 images, 12 x 12 x 1.2 cm, acrylic on wood. 

In closing this note, there is something I need to say: I owe a lot – so much – to Andreas Embiricos.

George Hadjimichalis

12.4.2007