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SUBMITTED PHOTO
A Koutsouras painting of the Uppertown net shed
Continued from Page 4
Koutsouras’ art had been
largely figurative, but today
he draws inspiration from
the river, sky and structures
of his adopted home.
For the Imogen show,
Koutsouras focuses on one
iconic Astoria structure: the
Uppertown net shed famil-
iarly known as “Big Red.”
He said he is “very close and
personal with the space and
my friends and Astoria and
its history.” His work in this
exhibit is about the transfor-
mations of people and struc-
tures as much as it is about
location. “I sense the spirit
of the place as it evolves and
changes in time,” he said.
‘Emotionally alive’
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Since Koutsouras moved
to Astoria, he has experi-
enced the death of his father,
the passing of friends, the
end of one relationship and
the beginning of another. “It
caused me to question my
life, what I was doing,” he
said.
Koutsouras puts all of
this living into his paintings.
They are emotionally alive.
The late Royal Nebeker,
who had his studio in Big
Red, said of Koutsouras’
work: “When contemplating
one of his large panoramic
ABOVE: Koutsouras’ “The
Artist’s Studio,” oil on canvas
RIGHT: “Adrift,” mixed media on
wood, by Christos Koutsouras
paintings, one becomes
aware of a different kind of
narrative. I am referring to
his representation of a nature
at once vast and profoundly
personal.”
Koutsouras is as passion-
ate about the arts as he is
personal about his painting.
But he’s not above playing
with art history as well. One
of his pieces is titled “The
Night Watch,” a painting of
the night but that has little to
do with Rembrandt. Anoth-
er is “The Scream,” which
features the net shed in its
ruined glory as a small part
of the canvas, surrounded by
abstract lines and forms that
all but vibrate.
“We have to take re-
sponsibility for our physical
environment,” the artist said.
“Sometimes even structures
need to scream.”
Koutsouras believes that
“we have to get away from
the idea that art is a luxury.”
As a recent study by the Arts
Council of Clatsop County
established, the arts have
transformed Astoria.
“It is not the same city as
when I came here,” Kout-
souras said. “The town is
thriving, and our work is
important to the town, but we
don’t do anything for the art-
ists. We have to work on the
collective consciousness to
bring about more appreciation
for the arts. If you are talking
about elevating a place, aes-
thetics is important.”
A spirit of creativity has
long enlivened Astoria, and
Koutsouras believes the
town, is “missing a place
dedicated only to the arts,
a focal point for music,
work spaces and galleries. It
would bring people from far
away. It needs to be done.”
His candidate for that
role? Big Red. CW