Nassos Daphnis Art
American, 1914-2010
The Greek-born American artist Nassos Daphnis was a major figure in the 20th Century art world and is recognized for his mastery of geometric abstraction and his evolution into what became known as Hard-Edge Painting.
Daphnis was actively supported by the Leo Castelli Gallery for 39 years, who placed his work in some of the best museum collections around the world. He also gave him 17 solo shows, making him the 3rd most exhibited artist of the Gallery, right after Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg. In addition to these exhibitions at Leo Castelli Gallery, Daphnis was featured in 23 group shows alongside John Chamberlain, Ellsworth Kelly, Edward Ruscha, Richard Serra, Frank Stella, Cy Twombly, among others.
In describing the work of Nassos Daphnis, Leo Castelli has said, “His paintings were more rigorous than the other geometric painters. From the day I saw his first slides I recognized this, and that he differed also because there was no hint of anything that should suggest sentiment. Sentimentality of any type was ruled out.”
Daphnis was one of the pioneers of the Minimalist school of New York. New York art critic April Kingsley wrote, “Some of Daphnis’ paintings from the later 50s are so radical you’d assume they’d been painted at least 10 to 15 years later. His devotion to purity predicts 60s minimalism; his systemic approach predates systemic painting.”
In the 1950’s when Barnett Newman was doing his stripe paintings with traditional brush strokes, Daphnis had already introduced the roller in order to erase the human touch and reached the perfection he always strived for.
In 1958, Daphnis developed his Color & Plane Theory to liberate color from the restriction of form. In doing so, he used multiple planes of solid color to create the illusion of depth, space, and movement amid smooth, uninterrupted surface textures.
Nassos Daphnis remained outside recognized schools and moved fluidly among emerging styles, with one goal — perfection. He remains a pioneer of the Hard-Edge Geometric abstraction and managed through his colossal work to overcome all the most difficult techniques and challenges by pioneering: magna painting (1958), Plexiglas sculpture (1962), epoxy painting (1966), giant-scale murals (1969), Gestält Arc Series (1976), and computer-generated works (1985).
In 1967, Nassos Daphnis was one of the co-founders of City Walls Inc. together with Richard Anuszkiewicz, Jason Crum, Knox Martin, Mel Pekarsky, Tania, Robert Wiegand, and other notable painters of the period.
Daphnis has been the recipient of numerous prestigious art awards. He was named a Guggenheim Fellow in 1977 and received the Francis J. Greenburger Foundation Award and the Pollock-Krasner Foundation Award in 1986. Daphnis’ works are in the collections of the Guggenheim Museum, NY; Whitney Museum of American Art, NY; Museum of Modern Art, NY; Albright-Knox Gallery, Buffalo, NY; Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY; Hirschhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC; Tel Aviv Museum, Israel; Basil Goulandris Museum, Greece.
Daphnis had 123 exhibitions during his lifetime, both domestic and international: 90 group shows and 33 solo shows, including four retrospective museum exhibitions.to
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Artist: Nassos Daphnis
SS 27-76, Minimalist Silkscreen by Nassos Daphnis
By Nassos Daphnis
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Nassos Daphnis, Greek (1914 - 2010)
Title: SS 27-76
Year: 1976
Medium: Silkscreen, signed and numbered in pencil
Edition: 100, AP 30
Size: 33 in. x 37 in. (83.82 c...
Category
1970s Minimalist Nassos Daphnis Art
Materials
Screen
SS 14-78, Minimalist Silkscreen by Nassos Daphnis
By Nassos Daphnis
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Nassos Daphnis, Greek (1914 - 2010)
Title: SS 14-78
Year: 1978
Medium: Silkscreen, Signed and numbered in pencil
Edition: 120, 25 AP
Size: 32 in. x 38 in. (81.28 cm x 9...
Category
1970s Minimalist Nassos Daphnis Art
Materials
Screen
SS 7-78, Minimalist Screenprint by Nassos Daphnis
By Nassos Daphnis
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Nassos Daphnis, Greek (1914 - 2010)
Title: SS 7-78
Year: 1978
Medium: Silkscreen, signed and numbered in pencil
Edition: 120
Image Size: 24 x 33 inches
Size: 32 x 40....
Category
1970s Minimalist Nassos Daphnis Art
Materials
Screen
SS 29-76, Geometric Abstract Screenprint by Nassos Daphnis
By Nassos Daphnis
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Nassos Daphnis, Greek (1914 - 2010)
Title: SS 29-76
Year: 1976
Medium: Silkscreen, signed and numbered in pencil
Edition: 100, AP 30
Size: 33 x 37 in. (83.82 x 93.98 cm)
Category
1970s Minimalist Nassos Daphnis Art
Materials
Screen
Nassos Daphnos, Structures (Rare Leo Castelli Gallery invitation
By Nassos Daphnis
Located in New York, NY
Nassos Daphnis
Structures (Rare Leo Castelli Gallery invitation), 1963
Offset Lithograph poster/invitation
22 × 16 inches
Publisher
Leo Castelli Gallery
Accompanied by gallery issued...
Category
1960s Abstract Nassos Daphnis Art
Materials
Lithograph, Offset
SS 17-78, Minimalist Silkscreen by Nassos Daphnis
By Nassos Daphnis
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Nassos Daphnis, Greek (1914 - 2010)
Title: SS 17-78
Year: 1978
Medium: Silkscreen, Signed and numbered in pencil
Edition: 120, AP 25
Image: 27 x 27 inches
Size: 3...
Category
1970s Minimalist Nassos Daphnis Art
Materials
Screen
SS 17-78, Minimalist Silkscreen by Nassos Daphnis
By Nassos Daphnis
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Nassos Daphnis, Greek (1914 - 2010)
Title: SS 17-78
Year: 1978
Medium: Silkscreen, Signed and numbered in pencil
Edition: 120, AP 25
Image: 27 x 27 inches
Size: 35 in. ...
Category
1970s Minimalist Nassos Daphnis Art
Materials
Screen
SS 1-82, Minimalist Silkscreen by Nassos Daphnis
By Nassos Daphnis
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Nassos Daphnis, Greek (1914 - 2010)
Title: SS 1-82
Year: 1982
Medium: Silkscreen, signed and numbered in pencil
Edition: 22/120
Size: 35.75 x 30 in. (90.81 x 76.2 cm)
Category
1980s Minimalist Nassos Daphnis Art
Materials
Screen
SS 12-78, Minimalist Silkscreen by Nassos Daphnis
By Nassos Daphnis
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Nassos Daphnis, Greek (1914 - 2010)
Title: SS 12-78
Year: 1978
Medium: Silkscreen, Signed and numbered in pencil
Edition: 120, 25 AP
Image Size: 24 x 33 inches
Size: 32 in. ...
Category
1970s Minimalist Nassos Daphnis Art
Materials
Screen
S-2-78, Minimalist Silkscreen by Nassos Daphnis
By Nassos Daphnis
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Nassos Daphnis, Greek (1914 - )
Title: S-2-78
Year: 1978
Medium: Silkscreen, Signed and numbered in pencil
Edition: 125
Image: 19.5 x 17 inches
Size: 30 x 22 inches
Category
1970s Minimalist Nassos Daphnis Art
Materials
Screen
SS 10-78, Minimalist Silkscreen by Nassos Daphnis
By Nassos Daphnis
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Nassos Daphnis, Greek (1914 - 2010)
Title: SS 10-78
Year: 1978
Medium: Silkscreen, Signed and numbered in pencil
Edition: 120, 25 AP
Size: 32 in. x 40.5 in. (81.28...
Category
1970s Minimalist Nassos Daphnis Art
Materials
Screen
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SS-1-78, Geometric Minimalist Silkscreen by Nassos Daphnis
By Nassos Daphnis
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Nassos Daphnis, Greek (1914 - )
Title: SS-1-78
Year: 1978
Medium: Silkscreen, Signed and numbered in pencil
Edition: 100, AP 20, PP 5
Image: 24.5 x 19.5 inches
Size: 30...
Category
1970s Minimalist Nassos Daphnis Art
Materials
Screen
SS-20-78, Geometric Minimalist Silkscreen by Nassos Daphnis
By Nassos Daphnis
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Nassos Daphnis, Greek (1914 - )
Title: SS-20-78
Year: 1978
Medium: Silkscreen, Signed and numbered in pencil
Edition: 100, AP 20, PP 5
Image: 23.5 x 27.75 inches
Size: ...
Category
1970s Minimalist Nassos Daphnis Art
Materials
Screen
SS 1-82, Minimalist Silkscreen by Nassos Daphnis
By Nassos Daphnis
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1980s Minimalist Nassos Daphnis Art
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31-E-78, Geometric Minimalist Silkscreen by Nassos Daphnis
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SS 7-78, Minimalist Screenprint by Nassos Daphnis
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Medium: Silkscreen, signed and numbered in pencil
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SS 9-78
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Artist: Nassos Daphnis, Greek (1914 - 2010)
Title: SS 9-78
Year: 1978
Medium: Silkscreen, Signed and numbered in pencil
Edition: 120, 25 AP
Size: 32 in. x 40.5 in. (81.28 cm x ...
Category
1970s Minimalist Nassos Daphnis Art
Materials
Screen
Nassos Daphnis Hard Edged Geometric Abstract Minimalist Silkscreen Op Art Print
By Nassos Daphnis
Located in Surfside, FL
Hand signed and numbered limited edition of 100.
Nassos Daphnis was a Greek-born American abstract painter, sculptor and tree peony breeder.
Born, 1914, Greece - Died, 2010, Provincetown, MA
known for Hard-edge painting, Op art, Expressionism, Geometric abstraction
Awards: Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts, US & Canada
Daphnis served in the United States Army from 1942 to 1945. During his service he was asked to put his skills as a painter to use and created camouflage for use on enormous military relief maps. It is speculated by some art critics that it was while painting camouflage that Daphnis developed the signature flatness later recognizable in his abstract geometric paintings.
While Daphnis is generally regarded as a self-taught artist, he did pursue some formal training. When Italy invaded Greece in 1940 and Greek War...
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1970s Abstract Geometric Nassos Daphnis Art
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Nassos Daphnis Hard Edged Geometric Abstract Minimalist Silkscreen Op Art Print
By Nassos Daphnis
Located in Surfside, FL
Hand signed and numbered limited edition of 100.
Nassos Daphnis was a Greek-born American abstract painter, sculptor and tree peony breeder.
Born, 1914, Greece - Died, 2010, Provincetown, MA
known for Hard-edge painting, Op art, Expressionism, Geometric abstraction
Awards: Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts, US & Canada
Daphnis served in the United States Army from 1942 to 1945. During his service he was asked to put his skills as a painter to use and created camouflage for use on enormous military relief maps. It is speculated by some art critics that it was while painting camouflage that Daphnis developed the signature flatness later recognizable in his abstract geometric paintings.
While Daphnis is generally regarded as a self-taught artist, he did pursue some formal training. When Italy invaded Greece in 1940 and Greek War Relief was organized, all the Greek American artists in New York got together: "Constant, Vassos, Lekakis, Nassos Daphnis, everyone. Along with Chryssa, Theodoros Stamos and Peter Voulkos he is one of the best known artists of the Hellenic American Diaspora.Following his military service, Daphnis trained at the Art Students League of New York. From 1949-1951, Daphnis studied in Paris. From 1951-1952, he continued his studies at the Istituto Statale D'Arte in Firenze, Italy. In 1952 he returned again briefly to Paris for additional study.
Daphnis' artistic style evolved throughout his career. He began as a realist and following the war, moved on to biomorphic kinetic forms with a Surrealist influence.
From March 24-April 11, 1947, Daphnis had an eponymous solo exhibition at the Contemporary Arts Gallery at 106 E 57th St, New York at which his biomorphic paintings were featured. The exhibition included both oil paintings and watercolors.
In the 1950s, Daphnis traveled back to Greece with the assistance of the G.I. Bill. While there he began to see the stark, clear light change his perception of the buildings and forms around him. Structures were simplified and became geometric planes of pure color. Following this trop, Daphnis developed his color-plane theory and focused on geometric abstraction with a restricted color palette of only black, white and primary colors. This became his signature style and these works are often characterized as being painted in the Hard-edge style of geometric abstraction. His style is frequently compared with Piet Mondrian; however, Daphnis saw Mondrian's approach as a jumping off point. Daphnis was also described as an abstract imagist, a term which arose from a 1961 exhibition at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York City, called American Abstract Expressionists and Imagists, in which he participated.
In the late 1980s, Daphnis' style evolved again as he began to integrate new forms of digital computer technology into his practice. Expanding on his color palette, he also incorporated a few additional colors. Daphnis' employment of computer-generated graphics and use of the Atari ST to develop his radical digital landscapes can best be understood as a proto New Media attitude.
Gallery Representation
For nearly forty years Nassos Daphnis was represented by the Leo Castelli Gallery. Castelli gave him 17 solo exhibitions in his gallery and regularly included his work in group exhibitions featuring artists such as Jasper Johns, Frank Stella, Robert Rauschenberg and Lee Bontecou. Castelli also regularly submitted Daphnis' works to exhibitions at a variety of galleries and institutions. For instance, from November 9-December 9, 1964, Daphnis' EPX 28-64 was included in "Art in Wood Today" as presented by the United States Plywood Corporation with the assistance of Dr. Richard MccLanathan of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts at the company's new New York headquarters. Other Pop Art artists in this exhibition included Robert Indiana, Louise Nevelson and Andy Warhol. Similarly, from May 16-June 10, 1967, Daphnis' work was exhibited in dialogue with Nicholas Krushenick in "Paintings/Collages Krushenick/Daphnis" at the Franklin Siden Gallery in Detroit.
In his later years, Daphnis also exhibited at the Eaton/Schoen Gallery in San Francisco and the Anita Shapolsky Gallery in New York. From May 6-July 4, 2008, Anita Shapolsky Gallery's "Masters of Abstraction" included work by Daphnis along with Seymour Boardman, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell and Aaron Siskind.
In August 2015, Richard Taittinger Gallery...
Category
1970s Abstract Geometric Nassos Daphnis Art
Materials
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Nassos Daphnis Hard Edged Geometric Abstract Minimalist Silkscreen Op Art Print
By Nassos Daphnis
Located in Surfside, FL
Nassos Daphnis was a Greek-born American abstract painter, sculptor and tree peony breeder.
Born, 1914, Greece - Died, 2010, Provincetown, MA
known for Hard-edge painting, Op art, Expressionism, Geometric abstraction
Awards: Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts, US & Canada
Daphnis served in the United States Army from 1942 to 1945. During his service he was asked to put his skills as a painter to use and created camouflage for use on enormous military relief maps. It is speculated by some art critics that it was while painting camouflage that Daphnis developed the signature flatness later recognizable in his abstract geometric paintings.
While Daphnis is generally regarded as a self-taught artist, he did pursue some formal training. When Italy invaded Greece in 1940 and Greek War...
Category
1970s Abstract Geometric Nassos Daphnis Art
Materials
Screen
29-E-78, Geometric Abstract by Nassos Daphnis
By Nassos Daphnis
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Nassos Daphnis, Greek (1914 - )
Title: 29-E-78
Year: 1978
Medium: Silkscreen, signed and numbered in pencil
Edition: PP 2/5
Size: 30 in. x 35.5 in. (76.2 cm x 90.17 cm)
Category
1970s Minimalist Nassos Daphnis Art
Materials
Screen
SS 19-78, Large Minimalist Silkscreen by Daphnis
By Nassos Daphnis
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Nassos Daphnis, Greek (1914 - 2010)
Title: SS 19-78
Year: 1978
Medium: Silkscreen, Signed and numbered in pencil
Edition: 120, 25 AP
Size: 32 in. x 50 in. (81.28 cm x 1...
Category
1970s Minimalist Nassos Daphnis Art
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Screen
SS-19-78 Minimalist Silkscreen
By Nassos Daphnis
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Nassos Daphnis, Greek (1914 - 2010)
Title: SS 19-78
Year: 1978
Medium: Silkscreen, Signed and numbered in pencil
Edition: 120, 25 AP
Size: 32 in. x 50 in. (81.28 cm x 1...
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1970s Minimalist Nassos Daphnis Art
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Screen
Nassos Daphnis art for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Nassos Daphnis art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Nassos Daphnis in screen print, canvas, fabric and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the minimalist style. Not every interior allows for large Nassos Daphnis art, so small editions measuring 22 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Joel Shapiro, David Borawski, and Dan Flavin. Nassos Daphnis art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,500 and tops out at $45,000, while the average work can sell for $2,500.