«Through a colorful mixture of different papers and surfaces, graphic artist Paris Koutsikos (parisko) and silk-screen printer Tind depict a “second hand go(o)d” in multiple silk-screen prints. Initially inspired by a book written by Kostas Papagiannakis and published back in 1997 at OXY pbl, the artists use vernacular images and quotes in order to verge the intangible concept of god and give a human flavor to it. God is transformed from the Absolute Good to the fallible second hand good. Prayer is identified with shopping therapy, where the more you consume the more you feel fulfilled. The texture of the papers as well as the vitality of the colors enhance the sense of materiality that contradicts the immaterial space of the divine.
Man and god are two forces that paradoxically coexist eternally, but when man dies, god dies. This conflicted abstract relationship has always been embodied in our everyday living as a regular habit. The delusional aspect of god’s perfection is dissolved within the pop element of the colloquial language. The supreme being is turned into a product for an advert that persistently awaits for a new buyer. God also becomes a seductive porn star who gazes at the viewer with a lustful desire. God is hiding behind his/her facades.
Nevertheless, the burning question remains: In moments of complete destruction and dismay, is God calling for help?

Elli Paxinou, June 2012