Yorgos Efthymiadis: Domesticated: Seeing Past Seduction

Yorgos Efthymiadis: Domesticated: Seeing Past Seduction by Aline SmithsonJuly 8, 2017

©Yorgos Efthymiadis, from Domesticated

Like the tapestries and weavings that are part of our ethnic and familial legacies, for a certain population, the gun is an object of beauty and meaning to be passed on to future generations. Photographer Yorgos Efthymiadis explores the charged subject of gun ownership by photographing a collector’s prized possession in juxtaposition to a woven backdrop from the collector’s home in his series, Domesticated. This pairing of craftsmanship is an interesting combination of aesthetics, both revealing the sensibilities of delicacy and design. Guns, as historical objects, draw interest, especially if used in a particular battle or event or have an unusual or ornate structure, but there is no forgetting the ultimate tragedies that these firearms evoke.

I would be remiss not to speak about Yorgos’ project, The Curated Fridge. As a way to create and support community, Yorgos uses his refrigerator as a gallery and creates themed shows every few months. Significant curators juror and then he holds an opening in his apartment in the Boston area. It’s free to submit too! Last year, he was able to create a refrigerator show at Photoville in Brooklyn, so who knows where your work could travel. A simple idea has turned in a platform for wonderful exposure…and fun.

©Yorgos Efthymiadis, from Domesticated

Yorgos Efthymiadis is an artist from Greece who resides in Somerville, MA. He is the recipient of a 2017 Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellowship and has exhibited in various locations, including the Danforth Art Museum, where he was presented with the 2015 Emerging Artist Award, the Griffin Museum of Photography and the PRC in Boston. In addition, his work was included in New York Photo Festival “PhotoWorld 2014″ and The Fence at Photoville, as part of the Flash Forward Festival 2014.

Lately, he created a gallery in his own kitchen, titled The Curated Fridge (Crusade for Art Engagement Grant Finalist, Winner of the Popular Vote). The idea behind this project is to celebrate fine art photography and connect photographers around the world. There is a guest curator for every show which run on a quarterly basis, free of charge.

©Yorgos Efthymiadis, from Domesticated

Domesticated: Seeing Past Seduction
2015 – ongoing

When describing guns, “peaceful” and “silent” are not words that come to mind. When seen as antiques, though, their initial purpose is camouflaged. The viewer, allured and captivated, tends to overlook and forget the past, mesmerized by the guns’ fine craftsmanship, their artistry. Yet, just beneath the surface, their artistic presence is haunted by a past that cannot be changed. The memory cannot be purified from the suffering and pain the guns inflict. The history of violence cannot be erased by transforming weapons into inert objects of beauty or works of art because -although not visible- the blood, the mud, the fear and desperation will always be there.

The guns were photographed on carpets, tablecloths, pillows and chairs found in each collector’s living environment.