The Demeter Series

Stratis' interest in nature is reflected in the title of this recent body of work, which pays homage to Demeter, the ancient Greek Goddess of the Earth, agriculture and the protector of social order. In these paintings, all of the elements of art have been placed into the service of a lyrical and organic abstraction. Overlapping curvilinear forms recall various aspects of the living world, from the most basic cellular structures to more complex natural organisms, such as centipedes and serpents. These rhythmic forms seem to move across the surface of the canvas, suggesting patterns of growth and/or the locomotion of living creatures. Additionally, the colors of the artist's palette have been selected to evoke various aspects of the natural world. Mossy greens and reddish browns suggest the earth, while pinks, lavenders, and blues recall the sky and bodies of water.

In The Demeter Series, as in all of his art, Stratis strives to bridge the gap between the world of art and the larger world, without delineating the appearance of things. Rather, he invents and creates, inspired by his experience of nature. Thus, his abstractions are not facsimiles of particular visual phenomena; they are linked to reality in a more profound sense. The paintings are a distillation of nature's beauty, variety, and vitality.

Stratis received a B.F.A., magna cum laude, from Hunter College in New York City. He is the Founder and President of The Studio: An Alternative Space for Contemporary Art, in Armonk, New York, where he has curated several notable exhibitions.