Chryssa (Vardea)
From the Newspaper Book, 1962
Ink on paper, 82 × 61 cm
Proof Edition
Donated by Mark Cortale on behalf of the Litsa D. Tsitsera Collection, 2021
ΕΜΣΤ Collection
The two drawings by Chryssa (Vardea) entitled From the Newspaper Book (1962) are representative examples of the creative period 1958–1962 when the visual artist explored the possibilities provided by the space of the printed surface, as well as the formal and expressive power that emerges through the relationship between text and image. The artist prioritised strict geometric organisation and the systematic repetition of information, whose content she never shows as a whole. Conversely, by shattering the language, enlarging and highlighting letters and words, intervening in ink, and crossing out parts of the work with free gestural brushstrokes, she renounced the narrative representation of information. The result is a linguistic game where readability is inhibited and writing becomes form, requiring decoding and reinterpretation. In the final abstract composition, the quality of the painting and a trace of the alphabet prevail. Letters and words exist as fragmentary statements, as a pretext for communication. The questions that emerge pertain to the way messages are conveyed, the reality of information, and communication development.
Biography
Chryssa (Vardea-Mavromichali, 1933–2013) was born in Athens. She studied at the Academie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris (1953–1954) and the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco (1954–1955). In 1955, she moved to New York. She drew her inspiration from modern life images and metropolitan incidents, emphasising the signs and symbols that prevail in the written discourse of mass communication, print media, and (advertising) signs. A purely artistic approach to linguistic symbols had already begun to show in her early works. In the 1960s, her practice developed using neon tubes in various shapes and colours. In her often large sculptures, the artist implements several techniques and materials that stand out for their technological nature. She expressed her vision through the play of light, the harmonious organisation of her compositions, iconic ideograms, and discreet references to Greek antiquity, Byzantium, and female identity. She presented her work in numerous solo exhibitions in notable galleries and museums across America and Europe. She participated in group exhibitions and international art events, such as the São Paulo Biennial (1963 and 1969), the Venice Art Biennale (1972), and Documenta 4 in Kassel (1977).
collection.emst.gr/artists/chryssa
ALL WORKS
- Phantom Investigations (Giannis Delagrammatikas, Ino Varvariti). Each Relation Belongs to Other Relations
- Chryssa. From the Newspaper Book
- Chryssa. From the Newspaper Book
- Nausica Pastra. Analogiques
- Nausica Pastra. Synectron–Square–Circle
- Bia Davou. Pillars and Clouds, Hypothetical Intervention in the Pillars of Olympic Zeus
- Bia Davou. Serial Structures 2 – Odyssey
- Christina Mitrentse. European Union – Bookscape XIV
- Christina Mitrentse. Home is the Net – Bookscape VI
- Karolina Krasouli. Pattern (Νοs. 1–3, 5–9, 11–14)
- Karolina Krasouli. How to Remember (Plans)
- Chrysanthi Koumianaki. When the Performance Ends
- Maria Varela. Rugs of Life
