Artists Magazine Asked …

July 6, 2021By Costa VavagiakisClippings

Artists Magazine asked, “When it comes to draftsmanship, who’s your favorite artist?” Five artists answered, including Costa Vavagiakis. “I’d have to say the ‘holy trinity’ of the High Renaissance. Leonardo da Vinci [1452–1519] for his inventiveness and creativity, Michelangelo [1475–1564] for his ingenuity and imagination, and Raphael [1483–1520] for his grace and ability to communicate.”

Artists Magazine Asked ….

March 20, 2021By Costa VavagiakisClippings

Artists Magazine asked, “How does art make the world a better place?” Nine artists answered, including Costa Vavagiakis. “Art offers messages that can capture our emotions, revealing a pure moment of humanity that we share with the artist, transcending time and place. It can open the imagination.”

Artists Magazine Asked …

December 6, 2020By Costa VavagiakisClippings

Artists Magazine asked, “What’s an art book that’s on your reading list this year?” Seven artists answered, including Costa Vavagiakis. During this challenging time, I chose to return to two enduring classic essays: Junichiro Tanizaki’s “In Praise of Shadows” and John Ruskin’s “On Art and Life.” Both delve into the desire to maintain cultural identity … Read More

Artists Magazine Asked …

August 8, 2019By Costa VavagiakisClippings

Artists Magazine asked, “If you could’ve witnessed the creation of one artwork, what would it be?” Twelve artists answered, including Costa Vavagiakis. One of the reasons The Art of Painting intrigues me is that it’s one of the few Vermeers I haven’t seen in person. We on the East Coast have the opportunity to see … Read More

The Enduring Power of a Self-Portrait

April 7, 2019By Costa VavagiakisClippings

Self-portraits raise the question of our own existence. As the artist catches the viewer’s eye, he/she can vicariously experience being the artist. This eye-to-eye contact is the purest, most direct connectedness with another human we can have in art. The artist’s eyes are directed outwardly, seeking to be seen and directly seeking you out as … Read More

Jurying the Art League’s March Open Exhibit 2019

March 24, 2019By Costa VavagiakisClippings

I juried the Art League’s March Open Exhibit 2019, which is on view in their Alexandria, Viriginia, gallery through April 7. For Best in Show I selected a painting by Jeff Lodge, Sunset Trawler, and also awarded Honorable Mentions to eleven of the one-hundred exhibiting artists. Haven Ashley interviewed me about the process of jurying. That … Read More