ARTIST PAUL GIOVANAPOULOS

While on our trip to NYC with nine students, one of our first places we visited was the apartment and studio of artist Paul Giovanapoulos and his wife Jamie. I had been communicating with them for a while via email prior to our trip. So once they discovered that we were going to NYC they invited us all to Soho to meet them and to view Paul's paintings. So after our lunch at McDonalds on 42nd street we took the subway to Soho not exactly knowing where their apartment was. After having to ask for directions several times and walking about 20 blocks we finally made it to their apartment. Paul met us on the street and took us upstairs to where they lived. It was a beautifully decorated with Paul's paintings. Having been there only a few minutes, Jamie, his wife arrived. She was the one who gave us the grand tour since Paul was relatively quiet. They allowed us to take as many photos of his work as we liked and to ask any questions. I had loved his work from the first time I had seen it on the internet. I was such an honor to see it now in person in the studio where he actually created it all. One of the highlights came when they took us into their bedroom which adjoined his studio to show us a series of 20 very large canvases about 911. In fact, the entire series has not been displayed in public so far. What a privilege for him to allow us to see it and was it ever impressive! They reside not too far from Ground Zero and remember the tragedy very well having to wear masks for several days because of the dust in the air. Then we moved on to his studio which was almost completely filled with more paintings. In lots of them he reproduces the style of various famous artists such as Magritte, Picasso, and Seurat in paintings of such things as Marilyn Monroe, automobiles, parking meters and American flags. Our group photo that you see was taken in front of the largest painting that he has ever done and it's not finished yet. He works from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm every single day, seven days a week. His wife Jamie jokingly complained that it makes taking vacations very difficult! I hope you enjoy the photographs.

Larry Hewett