SIGN OF THE TIMES

About Charis Tsevis

Charis Tsevis breaks new ground in his series Money Zoo. For this project the artist dedicated himself to the exotic animal worlds of Africa and Asia. In meticulously detailed work, the collage artist constructs different animals by… Read more

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Charis Tsevis breaks new ground in his series Money Zoo. For this project the artist dedicated himself to the exotic animal worlds of Africa and Asia. In meticulously detailed work, the collage artist constructs different animals by cleverly arranging banknotes. Dollars, euros, pesos, rubles, countless others, sometimes even historical currencies, are united to form an image. The artworks have the trademark Tsevis effect: from a distance the viewer sees a large, familiar motif, but when approached an amalgamation of banknote cut-outs is discovered, leaving the viewer pleasantly spellbound by the richness of detail.

The association between money and wildlife is not as unusual as it may at first seem. Animal names are often used at the stock exchange to describe shareholders and traders. There are optimistic bulls, cautious bears, and relaxed pigeons. And who could forget the wolf of Wall Street who, without hesitation, uses every opportunity to gain big. Meanwhile, a lavish amount of money is made on big game hunt tourism at the expense of exotic animal life. These animals should be protected. Their world is threatened by money. This ambivalent relationship is cleverly explored and reflected upon in Tsevis’ art. As such, the series provides the viewer with more room for contemplation on these issues. Nonetheless, the beauty and grace of the animals, as well as Tsevi’s exceptional compositional talent, remain the forefront of these fantastic works. 

Our Metropolises

Charis Tsevis presents the world’s megacities – from New York to London to Moscow – in lively photographic mosaics. His pieces provide a refreshing new perspective on famous landmarks and classic cultural monuments whose ubiquity in the media has shaped society’s preconceptions of the cities themselves. The artist arranges the fragments of hundreds of individual moments into one complete picture, thus capturing the very essence of these iconic monuments.

Tsevis presents different seasons and times of day in a singular distillation of time and space similar to a cinematic time lapse. Contrasting moods culminate in an image charged with atmospheric intensity. These detailed pictures grab the viewer’s attention, our eyes darting between the individual shots and the overall image. Everything is in a constant state of flux – much like life itself in these bustling cities.

The Greek artist, who studied graphic design in Munich and Milan, has made the digital collage his unmistakeable signature aesthetic. With his extraordinary, exciting artistic approach, Tsevis brings an unimagined dynamic into photography, surprising and challenging our traditional visual expectations.

VITA

1967	Born in Athens, Greece
1986-1990	Earned a degree in Graphic Design from the German Academy of Higher Learning for Graphic and Advertising Design, Athens, Greece
1991-1992	Masters in Visual Design from the Scuola Politecnica di Design, Milan, Italy
1996-Present	Guest Professor in Editorial Design and Typography at AKTO College of Art and Design, Athens, Greece
	Lives and works in Athens, Greece