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| Theodorakis’ Mayoral Campaign Poster. Athens, Greece. 1978. 36" h x 24" w |
The following selection is an excerpt from Triada Samaras’ work, At Home in Activist
Art: Transgressing Political and Geographical Boundaries, a 300 page art/text portfolio
project completed for her Goddard College MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts Degree,
January 2012.
When I lie in bed at night, sleepless in Brooklyn, I gaze upon a poster I removed from a telephone pole in Greece over 30 years ago. It is a remarkable poster and I dare say, a collectible now. I recently spent the money to have it professionally framed
because it is one of my prized possessions. The poster shows a man looking leftward, out over a village of small houses with a gleam in his eye. His face is peaceful and knowing. The artist created this image in wood cut. There is black ink on faded beige, now
yellowing paper. Below the man are three words in Greek: ΕΝΟΤΗΤΑ; ΑΝΑΓΕΝΝΗΣΗ; ΑΛΛΑΓΗ. Translated they mean: FREEDOM, NEED, CHANGE. On the top of the image are three more words: ΑΘΙΝΑ: ΜΙΚΙΣ ΘΕΟΘΟΡΑΚΙΣ. In
English this means: ATHENS: MIKIS THEODORAKIS. I have repeated these words to myself all my life like a mantra. The poster inspired me to think and dream. In the background, I could hear music playing, passionate voices singing these ideas with
unmistakable zeal.
Triada Samaras is a Greek/American interdisciplinary artist who lives and works in Brooklyn, NY,
where her work has been featured in numerous exhibitions and venues. Her art practice investigates:
house/home, identity, geography and place. Her recent projects include: Free
Public Place, an eco/art/activist project in Brooklyn, NY, and the Indignant Citizens of Greece, an
art/activist project in Athens, Greece.
Presently Triada is in Greece, traveling and working on a community based art project.
What is your life mantra that has guided you and your work?
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