Chryssa & New York
“An excellent catalogue encompass[ing] new scholarship, an in-depth examination of the conservation of the neon work, and a detailed chronology.”—Molly Warnock, Artforum
A focused look at the Greek-born artist’s career from the 1950s to the 1970s, when she lived and worked in New York City. The first major publication in more than 30 years, this catalogue surveys Chryssa’s pioneering use of industrial materials, including commercial signage, neon light, and newspaper printing plates.
In her New York works, Chryssa captured the dynamism of the city, weaving—and often anticipating—aspects of conceptual, minimal, and Pop art. She scoured sign “graveyards” and worked with industrial fabricators, taking cues from urban advertisements by incorporating metal letters and neon shapes into her art. Chryssa’s innovations culminated in her installation The Gates to Time Square, 1964–66, a monumental amalgam of welded steel, cast aluminum, and neon.
Essays in this volume explore Chryssa’s enthrallment with postwar New York, reconsider her work within the realms of queer theory and the Greek diaspora, and situate her presence in the history of light art. Also included is an investigation of the technical aspects of Chryssa’s work and a robust chronology.
Megan Holly Witko is external curator at Dia Art Foundation, Sophia Larigakis is assistant editor at Dia Art Foundation, and Michelle White is senior curator at the Menil Collection.
