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Chicago, IL
This exhibition presents the innovative art made by the Greek-born artist Chryssa (1933–2013) while she was living in New York City from the late 1950s to the early 1970s. Renowned for her adoption of industrial process, found commercial materials and early work with neon light, she stands at the forefront of American art in the wake of World War II. Responding to her urban environment, she was particularly interested in the intersection of art and everyday life.
The centerpiece of the exhibition is The Gates to Times Square, 1966, on loan from the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo. Restored for this show, the towering sculpture of neon and metal pays homage to the commercial signage and dazzling lights of New York City’s famous intersection, a space that inspired the artist throughout her career. The presentation will also include neon studies related to The Gates, large-scale text-based paintings, and sculptural works that harness natural light and were influenced by ancient Mediterranean art.
This exhibition, which brings together major loans from North American and European museums and collections, is co-organized by the Menil Collection, Houston, and Dia Art Foundation, New York. It is the first major survey of the artist’s work in the United States in more than fifty years and is accompanied by a scholarly publication edited by exhibition cocurators Michelle White and Megan Witko.
Following its presentation in New York and Houston, the exhibition will travel to Wrightwood 659, Chicago.
Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website