Dimitris Yeros: A Lesbos Diary, in New York

by Vicki Goldberg

An exhibit of over forty black and white photographs and some color by Dimitris Yeros, one of the most influential Greek artists of his generation will be presented at the THROCKMORTON FINE ART in New York from July 2nd – September 12th, 2020. The images span over thirty years of the artist’s life on the island of Lesbos, during which he has taken many hundreds of photographs and recorded every corner of the island. The selection chosen represents one of many interludes in the artist’s life and work, given that he is a city dweller and his other work largely consists of staged photographs created in his Athens, New York and Mytilene studios.

Lesbos is a Greek island at the edge of the Aegean Sea, close to the Turkish coast. In recent years it has become infamous because of the thousands of impoverished refugees and migrants, who arrive there hoping to seek safety and happiness in Europe. The Island of Lesbos, inhabited since prehistoric times, has a long and noteworthy history. It was the birthplace of great ancient Greek poets such as Sappho, Alcaeus, Terpander and Arion. It is an economically wealthy island. Its inhabitants are mainly involved in olive cultivation and livestock farming. Given its geographical and cultural distance from Athens, and the small number of tourists who visit the island, local customs have survived, which the islanders are very proud of.

Yeros visited Lesbos in 1986 for a holiday, and it has since become his second home. It is where he prefers to spend his summers. As was to be expected, during his first few months on Lesbos, the photographs he took were mostly commemorative.

Later, as he explored the whole island and understood the place and its people, he began to focus more on artistic subjects. Large, mostly abandoned buildings, from the previous century, traces of a once thriving community, unique historical monuments from different eras, landscapes that have hardly changed through the millennia and locals indulging in work or leisure are some of the subjects he has captured.

Dimitris Yeros

He has also photographed many male models in the nude, working sometimes in agrarian landscapes, in monuments, old buildings or ruins, portrayed in a manner reminiscent of the poses of ancient Greek statues. These photographs evoke both classic Greek civilization and the Romantic era of the late nineteenth century.

The THROCKMORTON FINE ART is located at
145 East 57th Street, 3rd Floor, NY, NY 10022. For more information their website is throckmorton-nyc.com

The next exhibition of works by Dimitris Yeros, with photographs from the series A Definition of the Nude, will take place in Taipei, Taiwan. It will open on October 28th.