Volante IV (2018)

Description

This artwork, titled Volante IV (2018) by Alexandra Roussopoulos, explores the concept of lightness, movement, and spatial interaction. Created with acrylic on screen printing, the piece measures 77 by 140 cm (30.3 by 55.1 inches) and presents a unique interplay between geometric abstraction and intricate, layered backgrounds.

At the center of the composition is a floating, angular shape that appears to shift and rotate, capturing the essence of “volante” (meaning flying or light in Italian/Spanish). The multifaceted form is constructed of sharply defined planes, painted in soft pastel hues like pale yellow, pink, blue, and deep black. This geometric figure creates a sense of movement and weightlessness, as if it were suspended in space, embodying the artist’s exploration of how form and color can evoke sensations of air and light.

Behind the central form lies a screen-printed layer in rich blue, adorned with faded decorative motifs that hint at landscapes or floral patterns. The muted red, green, and brown tones in the background contrast with the sharpness and modernity of the geometric figure. These background elements appear worn or weathered, adding a sense of history or time to the piece, reinforcing the idea of a dynamic relationship between past and present.

The distressed blue frame further enhances this dialogue by suggesting age and wear, providing a physical boundary that contrasts with the ethereal quality of the central shape. The combination of the angular, weightless form and the intricately detailed, weathered backdrop reflects Roussopoulos’s intention to merge structure and fluidity, stillness and movement.

In Volante IV, Roussopoulos invites the viewer to reflect on the coexistence of opposing forces—lightness and groundedness, the old and the new—and how these elements interact within a shared space. Through her exploration of color, shape, and texture, the artist creates a visual representation of weightlessness and freedom, encapsulated within the confines of both geometric precision and historical reference.

“My painting often escapes the traditional canvas on stretcher bars to venture onto all kinds of surfaces: textile, ceramic, wall, wood, or glass… The “Flying” series was painted on old silkscreens that I hunted down. Trace, memory lies at the heart of my work. I never pre-draw a structure, but it emerges as the painting progresses in an unstable balance, it arises in the favor of a loss of reference, a leap into the void with points of support. My palette starts with primary colors which I then mix extensively to associate them with additional hues. How one color lives alongside another, modifies it, creates a balance or imbalance, that’s what interests me. I love the tension of these sharp lines, the perfect boundary that is created between two colors, and the contrast between the existing background that I have reworked and the form that stands out. A dialogue is created between the exterior and the interior, between the landscape and the abstract form, drawing a spatial and temporal journey, that of the flying carpet, a symbol of takeoff and travel.“