Meeting Point 09: MOMus-Thessaloniki Museum of Photography
Giannis Stylianou, External Staircase, Mount Athos, 1968, Variable dimensions, Donation of Giannis Stylianou, MOMus-Thessaloniki Museum of Photography Collection
Creative Audio Description MP09 (/ - x)
Creative description
The artwork “External Staircase” by Giannis Stylianou is a vertical black-and-white photograph taken in 1968. In stark contrasts of black and white, a staircase is depicted in a narrow passageway between buildings on Mount Athos. Initially, one might perceive it as a staircase inside a building, but the title reveals its outdoor setting. The steps and walls of the narrow passage on both sides of the image are rendered in relief.
The photograph is divided into two equal parts, a dark and a light one. At the bottom, on the first level, three steps are depicted frontally in dark tones of black and grey. On the second level, from the centre of the picture upwards, which is very bright, three more steps are shown from the side in shades of white and light grey. The upper half of the picture is bathed in abundant white light, while the lower half is immersed in shadow and darkness.
Although absent from the artwork, human presence is strongly suggested by the wear and tear of the uneven stairs and the rough texture of the walls. The photograph is characterised by the harmony and balance between the tones of absolute black and pure white. It evokes opposites such as the struggle between light and shadow, yin and yang, and the passage from ignorance to knowledge. The photographic artwork invites viewers to ascend the stairs and reach the light, creating a sense of spiritual uplift and optimism. The creative capture of such a simple and “commonplace” subject as the staircase reveals self-taught photographer Giannis Stylianou’s passion for photography and his deepest quest for balance and harmony.
Photos from Meeting Point 09: MOMus-Thessaloniki Museum of Photography
The creative description of the artwork “External Staircase” by Giannis Stylianou is the result of co-creation by the participants in Meeting Point 09: MOMus-Thessaloniki Museum of Photography.
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