That’s not how you do a press-up! Hmm? What’s that you say? It’s a digital drawing focusing on the interaction of viewer and subject in portraiture as opposed to a study of the character herself? Well that’s all right then. You may have guessed I’m paraphrasing the artist a little there, and you’d be right, but what’s clear is Vasilios Paspalis‘ creations are usually a bit on the odd side, whether they be examining the carpet for dust mites, disembodied heads… some of them don’t even have a whole head, bless them.

In his Suberiority series – recently shown at Xpo Gallery, Paris – the Royal College of Art graduate Paspalis breeds digital technology with traditional subjects to eerie effect – the hyper-real meets the surreal. As well as challenging the viewer, the artist is challenging himself in transferring his paper drawing skills to the digital platform, which sounds like a doddle until you try drawing without looking at your hand. The name of the collection is itself a fusion of submission and superiority, commenting on the flux in power between a portrait subject and the viewer, and aiming to create confusion. If you don’t quite “get it”, that’s mission accomplished for Vaspalis.

vasilios paspalis,
untitled F,
digital drawing, 2012,
1m45 x 1m45,
courtesy xpo gallery,
Paris

vasilios paspalis,
untitled U,
digital drawing, 2012,
1m45 x 1m45,
courtesy xpo gallery,
Paris

Installation images courtesy,
xpo gallery, Paris