“Nothing about Erró’s art is understated” and with that expectation in mind, I attended Erró’s 3rd solo exhibition in Athens. And was not disappointed!

Erró is a postmodern artist from Iceland, perhaps one of the most acclaimed living artists the country has produced. He has exhibited his work from New York to Hong Kong and at well-known venues such as the Pompidou Centre in Paris.

Erró’s art can be characterized by taking comic book artwork and pictures from advertisements, news photos, comics, posters, politics documents from his travels around the world, redrawing it and mixing it up/ combining them in a new way.

Entering the gallery an entire series of malformed, mishaped comic figures looks at me and as I move through the gallery: exaggerated secretary girls in their classic pin-up pose, portraits of a grotesque Marylin Monroe unlikely associated to an “old man” and a juxtaposition of iconic Disney characters can be recognized. Surpassing everything else: statesmen such as Chairman Mao presented as cartoon baddies.

I had the chance to view some pieces which Erró presented for the first time, including a homage to Picasso and Japanese Manga comics which were incredible. I particularly liked the “Russian films 1920-1930” painting, including scenes from iconic Russian films from during that time. The art itself can be described simply as thrilling, vivid, sexual and savagely fierce.

I would like to express admiration for the work of the Comic artists, Erró’s work is based on. Despite some controversies regarding the artist, I feel that Erró has not earned his reputation from nothing. His art is full of life, movements and grasp the observer from the very start. It manages to bring closer Erró’s claim in which he “DENOUNCED AGAIN AND AGAIN THE ABERRATIONS OF OUR SOCIETY : DRIVEN CONSUMPTION, MERCANTILE EROTICISM, REVOLUTIONS, HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION, AMERICANIZATION OF LIFE.”