Καζαμίας, Τα αδιάφορα / Kazamias, The Unnoticed (2023)
[Bibliography]

Manolis Kazamias, “We see them all over Greece; on the road-side, at crossroads, in backyards and on remote pathways. We are used to their presence, we pass them by, they just go unnoticed. These are memorials, worship monuments, small shrines or offerings. Someone, sometime, set them up urged by the grief of a personal loss at a road accident or as gratitude to Divine Providence for a miraculous intervention. Each and every one has a human story to tell. The cause is lost in time, but the artifacts remains. They stand quietly across cities and villages, high up in mountains, next to the sea, at the edge of rocky cliffs, or across flat plains. Everybody respects them. Nobody dares to touch them, remove or destroy them. They are part of a long standing tradition that brings together personal memories and human metaphysical concerns. Either forgotten or well maintained, the improvised constructions reflect the need of the ordinary Greek person to address the Heavenly. A need rooted in ancient times and expressed in the form of small shrines.

Today they have evolved into what is known as Ikonostasi (a-iconostasia), which means a stand for religious icons. For me, Ikonostasis are valuable testaments of our history. Each is a unique example of popular architecture and local craftsmanship, a tangible expression of the imagination of the builder, inspired by the memory of a personal loss and deep religious beliefs. Using local materials and a creative intuition, the outcome can be either humble or monumental, harmonious or aesthetically provoking. The tragic moment that they usually represent creates a negative prejudice that makes the Ikonostasi a sensitive issue to address artistically. On top of that, it is a difficult subject to capture in terms of photography and composition. For the past 25 years, I have attempted to record with my camera the particular social and cultural interpretations they represent, always in relation to their surrounding elements and environment. The unknown human story, the aesthetics of the construction, the inventiveness of the local craftsman, the influence of time and nature on the human creation, are what inspired my photographic interest. They have always been, and still remain, a challenging subject for my photography, yet leading me to constantly revealing quests. I will be very happy if the photographs of this book inspire a different awareness of Ikonostasi in the reader, so at least they do not go unnoticed.”

Introductory texts by: Robert McCabe, photographer (p. 5); Theodoros Papagiannis, sculptor, Professor Emeritus Athens School of Fine Arts (p. 286); Petros Themelis, archeologist (p. 287). Total pages 290 (27x26) hard cover.