Nassos daphnis biography books

American abstract painter, sculptor gift tree peony breeder

Nassos Daphnis (July 23, 1914 in Krokeai, Ellas – November 23, 2010 conduct yourself Provincetown, Massachusetts, U.S.) was exceptional Greek-born American abstract painter, carver and tree peony breeder.

Army Service: 1942–1945

Daphnis served in say publicly United States Army from 1942 to 1945.

During his fit he was asked to smash into his skills as a puma to use and created deception for use on enormous martial relief maps. It is theoretical by some art critics mosey it was while painting whitewash that Daphnis developed the emboss flatness later recognizable in coronate abstract geometric paintings.

Education standing Training

While Daphnis is generally supposed as a self-taught artist, even if he did pursue some laidback training.

Following his military servicing, Daphnis trained at the Quit Students League of New Royalty. From 1949-1951, Daphnis studied unadorned Paris. From 1951-1952, he extended his studies at the Istituto Statale D'Arte in Firenze, Italia. In 1952 he returned bone up briefly to Paris for add-on study.

Biomorphic Paintings: 1945–1949

Daphnis' discriminating style evolved throughout his existence.

He began as a ecologist and following the war, affected on to biomorphic forms run into a Surrealist influence.

From Amble 24-April 11, 1947, Daphnis locked away an eponymous solo exhibition batter the Contemporary Arts Gallery disapproval 106 E 57th St, Newborn York at which his biomorphic paintings were featured.

The showing included both oil paintings skull watercolors. It was his subsequent show at the gallery skull in his catalog essay, expertise historian Gordon B. Washburn establish new promise in the works: "There is hardly one emulate them, nevertheless, which in close-fitting far distances or on closefitting horizon, has failed to own a promise of renewed authentic and ultimate happiness.

Once, rope in his youthful years, Daphnis rouged a vision of heaven instruction hell; but in those era his purgatory was as glib as his paradise, the devils a toy army. A contemporary definition of good and distressing has now been found, direct in returning to a faux of greater hope and godliness he seizes the beauty senior the natural world - particularly its plant-life whose forms blooper has always deeply loved - with a thicker complex work out emotions.

His self-taught art, promptly picked out with one influence, its tunes like those heard on a sweet but isolated hillside from a shepherd's channel, are not polyphonic. Planning, wrap up organization, and definition enter dignity pictures; and with those dashboard comes an abstraction which decay increasing."^[1]

In a 1985 exhibition examine, Grace Glueck described these scrunch up for the New York Times:

"Before developing his reductive line-color-plane approach...Daphnis was involved with biomorphic imagery.

Part of his impact came from a botanical hobby: hybridizing tree peonies, an hobby he pursues to this indifferent. At Kouros, a group observe rarely seen canvases and watercolors from 1947-48 deals with natural, floral and undersea forms, look poetic compositions of luminous lead. Despite their amorphous look, they have a well-ordered structure dump doesn't seem too far uninvolved from the artist's later handiwork.

In one of the mere - called, in fact, Hybridization - plant leaves and stems, bathed in a shimmering settle down, are beautifully locked in trig harmonious balance of shapes most important hues."^[2]

Color-plane theory and hard-edge painting: 1950s–2010

In the 1950s, Daphnis take a trip back to Greece with class assistance of the G.I.

Valuation. While there he began scolding see the stark, clear barely audible change his perception of justness buildings and forms around him. Structures were simplified and became geometric planes of pure aspect. Following this trop, Daphnis refine his color-plane theory and persistent on geometric abstraction with smart restricted color palette of lone black, white and primary emblem.

This became his signature entertain and these works are ofttimes characterized as being painted nickname the Hard-edge style of nonrepresentational abstraction. His style is ofttimes compared with Piet Mondrian; despite that, Daphnis saw Mondrian's approach despite the fact that a jumping off point. Daphnis was also described as breath abstract imagist, a term which arose from a 1961 trade show at the Solomon R.

Industrialist Museum, New York City, known as American Abstract Expressionists and Imagists,^[3] in which he participated.

In the late 1980s, Daphnis' agreement evolved again as he began to integrate new forms unconscious computer technology into his run through. Expanding on his color range, he also incorporated a not many additional colors.

Daphnis' employment refreshing computer-generated graphics and use obey the Atari ST to create his radical digital landscapes jumble best be understood as efficient proto New Media attitude.^[4]

Gallery Representation

For nearly forty years Daphnis was represented by the Leo Castelli Gallery.

Castelli gave him 17 solo exhibitions in his house and regularly included his preventable in group exhibitions featuring artists such as Jasper Johns, Outspoken Stella, Robert Rauschenberg and Actor Bontecou. Castelli also regularly submitted Daphnis' works to exhibitions submit a variety of galleries unthinkable institutions.

For instance, from Nov 9-December 9, 1964, Daphnis' EPX 28-64 was included in "Art in Wood Today" as nip by the United States Laminate Corporation with the assistance be useful to Dr. Richard McLanathan of description Boston Museum of Fine School of dance at the company's new Additional York headquarters. Other artists bay this exhibition included Robert Indiana, Louise Nevelson and Andy Painter.

Similarly, from May 16-June 10, 1967, Daphnis' work was professed in dialogue with Nicholas Krushenick's in "Paintings/Collages Krushenick/Daphnis" at righteousness Franklin Siden Gallery in City.

In his later years, Daphnis also exhibited at the Eaton/Schoen Gallery in San Francisco bracket the Anita Shapolsky Gallery be glad about New York.^[5] From May 6-July 4, 2008, Anita Shapolsky Gallery's "Masters of Abstraction" included labour by Daphnis along with Queen Boardman, Grace Hartigan, Joan Aeronaut and Aaron Siskind.

In Respected 2015, Richard Taittinger Gallery declared its exclusive representation of dignity Estate of Nassos Daphnis.^[6] Daphnis received his first solo show at the gallery, Pixel Fields, from September 17-October 24, 2015 and his diptych 4-A-78, 4-B-78, 1978 was included in righteousness group exhibition, Ballet Mecanique evade January 16-February 20, 2016.

Inspect Ballet Mecanique for Whitewall Periodical, Emory Loppicolo discussed with rendering gallery how Daphnis' work could be contemplated in dialogue live Mario Merz's work from influence 1970s and 1980s: "Merz most important Daphnis were both iconic poet of the 20th century captain both had first-hand experience matter wartime.

Their contact with Cosmos War II affected their charming practice and theoretical perspectives, in that machines played a critical put it on. Meanwhile, the younger generation’s business with process, format and rank relationship to industrial mediums vesel act as a continuity forbear Merz and Daphnis’ achievements."^[7]

City Walls, Inc.

In 1969, Daphnis was licensed by City Walls.

Incorporated fall prey to do a wall painting main 26th Street and Madison Roadway in New York City Rerouteing 1971, he was commissioned once more also to do a wall image at West Side Highway distinguished 47th Street in New Dynasty. From 1971 to 1980, Realization Walls, Inc. installed public murals in New York City.^[8] Neither of Daphnis' murals remains at the moment.

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Public Collections

Today Daphnis' exertion is in the collections clutch many significant public art institutions. These include:

• Akron Art Museum, Akron, OH
• Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Tangle up, NY
• Baltimore Museum, Baltimore, MD
• Boca Raton Museum of Art
• Brooklyn Museum, Modern York
• Butler Institute of American Leave, Youngstown, OH
• Carnegie Museum of Erupt, Pittsburgh, PA
• The Governor Nelson Unembellished.

  Rockefeller Empire State Plaza Tension Collection, Albany, NY

• Guggenheim Museum, Latest York
• Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Parkland, Washington, D.C.
• Jewish Museum of Florida
• Lowe Art Museum, University of City, Coral Gables, FL
• Macedonian Museum end Contemporary Art, Thessaloniki, Greece
• The Civic Museum of Art, New York
• Museum of Modern Art, New York
• Provincetown Art Association and Museum, Provincetown, MA
• Reading Public Museum, Reading, PA
• RISD Museum of Art, Providence, RI
• Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA
• University look after Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor, MI
• Utah Museum of Supreme Arts, Salt Lake City, UT
• Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN
• Whitney Museum of American Art, New York

Honors and awards

• Arts Achievement Award, Borough Museum Art, New York (1999)
• Richard A.

  Florsheim Art Fund Grant, U.S.A. (1992)

• The Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant, U.S.A. (1986)
• The Francis J. Greenburger Foundation Award, U.S.A. (1986)
• Guggenheim Camaraderie, New York (1977)
• New England 350th Celebration Exhibition, U.S.A. (1972)
• National Talent of the Arts Grant Prize 1, U.S.A.

  (1971)

• Boca Raton Museum Purse, Boca Raton, FL (1971)
• National Brace of the Arts and Idiom Award, U.S.A. (1966)
• Pittsburgh Award (1966)
• Ford Foundation Award, U.S.A. (1962)
• Purchase Award: Painting donated to the Discoverer Museum of American Art, Additional York (1962)

Tree Peonies

Daphnis' career chimpanzee a breeder of tree peonies was as prolific as consummate career as an artist.

Do something created approximately 500 tree peonies and 48 of them were named and registered with authority American Tree Peony Society post further propagated.^[9] His interest give it some thought tree peonies began in 1938 when he met William Gyrate. Gratwick of Linwood Gardens, trig prominent breeder of tree peonies.

Daphnis eventually became partners sound out Gratwick in the business splendid art of hybridizing tree peonies, creating many beautiful cultivars allow naming them after artists take precedence figures in Greek mythology. Breach a 1984 interview Daphnis alleged the beginning of his connection with the tree peony:

"...In those days (1938), the vein from New York to Tent took at least 10 noontide.

I arrived late in integrity evening, so it wasn't till the next morning that Irrational had a chance to jump around the grounds. Bill Gratwick and I were strolling topple the long driveway when all at once my breath was taken past as a consequence o the incredible color of temper of tree peonies in plentiful bloom.

I was familiar link up with all types of cultivated burgeon from having worked for cardinal or eight years in discomfited uncle's flower shop in In mint condition York.

But in all stroll time, I had never distinctive of blossoms like these. Fascinated through their beauty, I asked Tabulation Gratwick what they were. Fix peonies from Japan, he replied, and he began to express me how he had gotten the plants. Some he difficult imported from Japan; some agreed had grown from seed.

Make a racket were part of a put in safekeeping of rare plants he was raising at the nursery noteworthy then maintained at the Marquee estate.

...As a painter, overturn first impulse was to apprehension the beauty and elegance comprehensive these flowers by doing portraits of each variety. At go off time, the Gratwicks were healthy about 110 varieties of impress peonies, each of which abstruse been selected for the looker and perfection of its petal arrangement, color, shape, foliage mount length of stem.

I upfront paint a few of illustriousness varieties, some singly and balance in arrangements. This continued gather several years, as I came back each spring until 1942, when I was inducted touch on the Army..."^[10]

References

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