A Collection of Quotidian Masterpieces
The Torrance Gallery Sunday Journals — No. 15
On the Everyday, the Humorous & Making a Scene
Quotidian is one of those words that sounds considerably grander than what it means.
It simply means everyday.
Constantine.., however, is not an artist inclined to leave the everyday alone.
On Friday evening, we privately opened A Collection of Quotidian Masterpieces, before welcoming the public into the exhibition yesterday. The timing feels particularly apt. The Torrance Gallery has a new frontage and Edinburgh has entered August and the city is beginning its annual transformation. Ordinary rooms become theatres, pavements become stages and people suddenly find themselves discussing mime, cabaret or experimental puppetry!
For a few weeks, everyday life becomes performance.
That same idea runs throughout Constantine..’s work.
The exhibition brings together paintings from several interconnected bodies of work. Certain figures and objects return again and again, but rarely in quite the same role. The familiar is rearranged, exaggerated and given new significance. A gesture becomes a ritual. A visual joke develops a slightly uneasy edge. An ordinary encounter begins to resemble a scene from a modern myth.
At the centre of much of the work is Constantine..’s recurring protagonist.
He is recognisably drawn from the artist himself, but he isn’t quite a conventional self-portrait. He feels more like an actor that Constantine.. sends out into the world: sometimes hero, sometimes antihero, sometimes observer, fool or provocateur. As the surroundings and circumstances change, so does the role he performs.
It made me think about how much of everyday life involves performance. Constantine.. takes those shifts in behaviour and enlarges them until they become theatrical, symbolic and occasionally absurd.
The humour matters. This is not an exhibition that demands solemn silence or prior knowledge of art theory. The colours are bold, the imagery is immediate and there is pleasure in the sheer oddness of Constantine..’s universe.
But the humour never feels entirely comfortable.
Look a little longer and questions begin to surface. Who holds the power in this scene? Is the protagonist in control, or simply acting as though he is? Are we looking at confidence, bravado, vulnerability or all three at once?
The work does not provide tidy answers. Its titles often complicate rather than explain, giving the viewer just enough of a nudge to start forming an interpretation before pulling the ground away again.
Part of the exhibition continues ideas Constantine.. developed during his 2025 residency at Virgin Hotels Edinburgh, where his Vigilante series moved beyond painting into performance, intervention and film. Its masked antihero confronted questions of power, persona and control, turning the hotel into something more than a neutral backdrop.
Bringing that work into The Torrance Gallery changes it again.
Here, Vigilante sits within a much broader survey of Constantine..’s practice. Seen alongside quieter paintings, the character becomes one figure within a larger mythology that the artist has been building and rebuilding for years.
It also feels like the right exhibition with which to mark a new chapter for the gallery.
The Torrance has spent more than five decades showing contemporary art, and we are very conscious that taking it forward does not mean discarding what came before. But it does mean allowing the gallery to stretch occasionally - to make room for different media, unexpected voices and exhibitions that alter the atmosphere of the space.
Constantine.. has certainly done that.
The gallery feels bolder, stranger and more theatrical than usual. The works do not sit quietly on the walls waiting to be admired. They interrupt one another, repeat themselves, perform and occasionally misbehave.
That is exactly what we hoped this exhibition would do.
Our favourite piece is one which we asked Constantine to create for the exhibition, with the brief to create a painting in his unique style that felt rooted in Edinburgh. The result was ‘Gardyloo’ it’s title recalls Edinburgh’s old warning cry, but in Constantine..’s hands that piece of local history takes on his ‘dry’ sense of humour.
The phrase quotidian masterpiece contains a deliberate contradiction. A masterpiece is usually understood as something rare and elevated; the quotidian is the material of ordinary life. Constantine.. brings the two together and asks us to consider whether the everyday might already contain all the absurdity, symbolism and drama we could possibly need.
During August in Edinburgh, that idea does not seem particularly difficult to believe.
The whole city goes slightly off-script.
Adam and Tony
Owners and Directors of The Torrance Gallery
A Printmaking Memoir
Say it was an “accident”.. say it was meant to be.. whatever the case was, I (Constantine..) produced a rather long series of prints in my studio. Using very basic materials and minimal equipment. It was all I could get access to at the time. It was within the last two summer months of 2020 when I started producing these prints. It was “lockdown” and there weren’t many things happening.. I just had this urge to produce artwork that I hadn’t before. It felt like a primitive need that was trying to escape my body. I couldn’t really put it down in words and thoughts.. it was just energy, and it was so intense that it could not be tamed. A very large amount of these prints were exhibited as part of the collaborative Art Show “A Sense of Magi” in October 2020 In March 2021 we all underwent another round of “lockdowns” which caused stagnation in the art world, once again. For me the will to showcase this workload was so great that I decided to “go around” residential buildings in the city of Edinburgh and exhibit this artwork in people’s stairwells. And that’s how the “Constantine..’s Stairwell Project” began. In this project, I used “clip-on” A3 size frames that I would stick on the walls, using "Velcro”. There were 10 at a time and I was rotating the prints weekly. In some sites, the show lasted for a month and in others, for two weeks. The project ran on a trust basis. It was all well received by the residents, as the feedback suggests. “Constantine..’s Stairwell Project” was also featured in “Snack Magazine’s Issue 26”. More print work was produced during the new year and it was exhibited along with old ones in my solo Art Show “There we were, now Here we are” in July 2021.
Today my Printmaking collection has obviously expanded, however, what I am about to present within this book, is what I call the foundation and the core element of my Printmaking.
Unframed
Group Art Show
Three small pieces for the “Unframed” winter group show curated by Dockside Gallery at Berwick Upon Tweed.
the Profile of Love
Art Exhibition and Readings
Constantine.. and Emily-Rose’s new collaboration. “the Profile of Love” as it had been exhibited before, during the “lockdown”, in the city of Edinburgh now it is to be exhibited again accompanied by Emily-Rose’s writing, that includes poetry, short stories and philosophical points of view. That is all put together in a quirky zine, that is easy and great fun to read!
The opening of the event is on the 28th of July 2022 from 6-9pm at the Storytelling Centre on the High street in the heart of Edinburgh. The event will be accompanied by guest readers, performing their own material with “love” as the theme.
The exhibition will run until the 29th of August 2022. Visiting times as the Storytelling Centre normally operates, and that is to be found https://www.scottishstorytellingcentre.com/
Words by Constantine..
Creative Me Podcast: Episode 112
Episode on Jazz Mafia Project Vol 2
In Episode 112 of Creative Me Podcast (https://www.instagram.com/creativemepodcast/) , Emily-Rose (https://www.instagram.com/emilyrose_writer/) and Constantine.. (https://www.instagram.com/constantine_artist/) are discussing all about how “Jazz Mafia Project Vol 2” came about. Click on either of the following links to listen to the episode on your preferred platform.
https://soundcloud.com/user-933577069/episode-112-constantine-zeus
Words by Constantine..
Myth and/or Mythology.. the Divine Affairs
Constantine’s “the Divine Affairs”: a review
"The Divine Affairs" is the fourth part of the art project "Myth and/or mythology" by Edinburgh based artist, Constantine. The previous three parts of the project have so far been exhibited in several venues across Edinburgh and London's Brick Lane. The project is now back in Edinburgh showcasing newly created works, many of which were painted in 2022. The series is comprised of large paintings with bright bold colours in acrylic paint. The series represents characters from the Ancient Greek myths and their various "affairs". Constantine has painted these gods and goddesses in modern dress perhaps alluding to the idea that their characteristics transcend time. Constantine’s work plays on the idea of humans exhibiting godlike characteristics or even being gods themselves. ‘Be your own god!’ is commonly touted in philosophical discourse and is strikingly relevant here. As in Greek mythology, gods are everywhere; everyone can be recognised as a representation of the oneness of nature and the divinity running throughout. The work may also depict the idea that gods have flaws in the same way that humans do; the gods in the Ancient Greek myths may simply have been humans with god-like qualities. Constantine’s “the Divine Affairs” series may highlight the irony of holding onto an illusion of perfection in a godlike figure, and the pitfalls of placing anyone on a pedestal. Perhaps this is a reminder to pursue our own passions regardless of moments of doubt, fear, or self-criticism. The series draws upon themes of idolatry, selfhood, and immortality.
Words by Emily-Rose Writer
Poster for the “Myth and/or Mythology.. the Divine Affairs” art exhibition, 1st April 2022-16th April 2022.
Designed by Constantine..
Jazz Mafia Project
Jazz Mafia Project on Tour in Aberdeen UK,
Art Exhibition and Book Signing
“Myth and/or Mythology.. EXT. Version”
Overview
Myth and/or Mythology.. Ext. Version is a combination of two art series’, that were both exhibited in Edinburgh, almost simultaneously. This exhibition entails the portraits (paintings) of various mythological creatures and historical figures from ancient Greece.
In this art exhibition, Constantine.. is portraying his “Protagonists” as if they still live amongst us/exist within us, in our day and era.
“About Time” Art Show Review
A review, by Max Hunter, for “The Student” newspaper regarding Constantine..’s online show, “About Time”. The show took place at St’ Margaret’s House online exhibition platform in October 2020.
https://studentnewspaper.org/article/online-exhibition-review-about-time
“Jazz Mafia Project Vol 2”
ART EXHIBITION/BOOK LAUNCH OVERVIEW:
“Jazz Mafia Project” is based upon a series of characters/musicians, that travel around Europe and N Africa, in the early 1940’s. The project started as a series of paintings, that came along with the title “Jazz Mafia Project”, later evolved into a concept and after that, a small book was produced, entailing the profiles of all the characters. The Art Show has been touring, internationally. This time around is to be exhibited in Edinburgh, UK.
About 3 years later, now and the project has a second book, called “Jazz Mafia Project Vol 2”. The Launch of the Book is accompanied by the Art Show, in Typewronger, in Leith, Edinburgh.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CTUfH5UKLEK/
“Into the Dark & Under the Light of the Trojan Moon”
ART EXHIBITION OVERVIEW:
The importance of living in the moment. Reflecting on the past and contemplating about the future. Pondering upon making decisions that affect the future.. dwelling upon decisions that already have.. confidence and bravery, respectively derive. “Into the dark and under the light of the Trojan Moon”. Quick light and bold colours as such.
Private View 15/10/21 @ 6.30-8.30pm
Free admission
Location: 151 London Road,
St Margaret’s House
Gallery 1
https://www.instagram.com/p/CUA3XDCgFIv/
Athens Open Art
Participating in the group show of Athens Open Art, hosted in Art Number 23 Gallery in Athens, Greece.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQOh-2trsFI/
Constantine..’s Stairwell Project
It all begins with an idea.
Constantine..’s Stairwell Project is an effort I am making in order to carry on exhibiting and making art, in a physical form, available and accessible to people, during the hard lock down and isolation times we are going through. Even though the restrictions are meant to loosen up within the next following weeks, I am carrying on with the project anyway.
The idea is, to be exhibiting a large series of monotypes that I produced over the summer of 2020 in various stairwells of different flat buildings around Edinburgh. The exhibition is private as it is predominantly for the residents of the buildings and/or their visitors as they are allowed by the government, at the time. This is a free project and all I am asking from anyone is to simply spread the word by sharing, liking, word of mouth etc. So, if you’d like to have your own “private “ show, get in touch by emailing: Constantine.artist@gmail.com, commenting and dm.
First show opens @ 11 Thirlestane Road on 19/3/21
Looking forward to hearing from you
Constantine..
https://issuu.com/snack_mag/docs/snack_issue_26_april_21/14?ff
Modern Times..Past
It all begins with an idea.
The Modern Times.. Past, Art Exhibition entails a series of 12 paintings.. all of which are painted in acrylics and on various different mediums. From wooden panels to canvas and paper.
The subject matter is various mythological and historical figures from the Ancient Greek times. However, the characters portrayed, even though they are considered to be “Ancient” (Past), they have some rather “Modern” and Contemporary elements about them i.e. outfits, smoking etc..
That is to state that throughout the years, humans have shown to be who they are, and that they can be, who they want to be.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CNw7cpprgTs/
Myth and/or Mythology
It all begins with an idea.
Art Exhibition Overview:
A series of four Paintings including the Artist Constantine.. himself, facing and/or seeking the bad and good of himself, respectively. Constantine is depicted along with mythological creatures and Olympian gods.
The show also includes a sculpture of the MInotaur.
https://www.instagram.com/p/COX1_gtL2gQ/