Biography
Pavlos Dionyssopoulos (b. Filiatra, Messinia, Greece 1930 - d. 2019) studied painting at the School of Fine Arts, Athens (1949-1953) with Yiannis Moralis (1916-2009). In 1954, he went to Paris on a French state scholarship Paris where he was greatly influenced by Yves Klein’s Emptiness event and by the work of Jasper Johns. He returned to Athens in 1955; moved from painting to working with newspaper and a cutter, whilst also working in advertising and the theatre until 1958, when he left again for Paris, on a 3-year Greek state scholarship (I.K.Y.). Pavlos then settled there permanently and met Raymond Haynes, Cesar and Pierre Restany and in 1960 founded the New Realists Group at Yves Klein’s Parisian home. His work was characterised mainly by his switch from conventional canvas painting to the use of cheap everyday materials of the modern world. He chose as his primary material the printed paper (mostly by posters), cut into fine strips with the use of a machine (affiches massicotés).
His first solo exhibition was held in Paris (Galerie J, 1964) and has since worked with major European galleries (Sonnabend, Iolas, etc.). After his first solo exhibition in Athens (Goethe Institute, 1971), he regulalrly held exhibitions in Greece. He participated in significant events that highlighted the Greek avant-garde art scene abroad, such as the Avantgarde Griechenland (Berlin, 1968) and Eight Artists, Eight Attitudes, Eight Greeks (ICA, London, 1975). He represented Greece in the 1980 Venice Biennale and also participated in the Europalia festival (Belgium, 1982). In 1997, his retrospective exhibition was organised in Thessaloniki (Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art), and was also presented in Athens (ASFA Factory). His project Football Players is located at the ‘Omonia’ station of the Athens Metro.
