Future-proof: Richard Taittinger shows the prescient work of Nassos Daphnis

While the late 20th century artist Nassos Daphnis was celebrated in his day – by no less than the stellar dealer Leo Castelli, who feted him with a stunning 17 solo shows – his oeuvre has fallen into the shadows, so to speak. Yet now, in the staging of 'Pixel Fields' in New York City, the Lower East Side gallerist Richard Taittinger is rightfully featuring Daphnis’ artistry, which was so ahead of the curve given its roots in this high tech age.
‘Castelli referred to the Greek-born Daphnis as the contemporary Piet Mondrian for his geometric paintings, with their crisply edged planes and bold primary palette,’ says Taittinger, who is showcasing 20 examples dating of his work from 1987–1992 and now represents the artist’s estate. But the multi-talented Daphnis wasn't simply replicating the Dutch master’s sleek lines.
'He took his cues visually from computer generated graphics via the Atari ST,’ explains Taittinger of Daphnis’ remarkably prescient tack. In fact, the artist was aged 71 when he first booted up his son's computer. Daphnis’ composition, imagery and palette is based on pixels, in terms of its colour saturation and blocking of shapes. The 1987 work, 6-87 THE EXPLOSION, demonstrates his exploration of pixel-informed imagery in rendering compelling geometric forms. Others, like his Palace of Minos 10-88, 1988, reveal sharp blocks of tones based on patterns and forms he first rendered on the computer.
'While today Albert Oehlen, Cory Arcangel, Takashi Murakami and a bevy other artists are heralded for their reliance on the computer, actually Daphnis blazed a trail decades before them,’ says Taittinger.
’He took his cues visually from computer generated graphics via the Atari ST,’ explains Taittinger of Daphnis’ remarkably prescient tack
In fact, the artist was aged 71 when he first booted up his son’s computer
6-87 THE EXPLOSION, 1987
Daphnis’ composition, imagery and palette is based on pixels, in terms of its colour saturation and blocking of shapes
AE 4-92, 1992
While Daphnis was celebrated in his day – by no less than the stellar dealer Leo Castelli, who feted him with a stunning 17 solo shows – his oeuvre has fallen into the shadows, so to speak
7-90, 1990
’While today Albert Oehlen, Cory Arcangel, Takashi Murakami and a bevy other artists are heralded for their reliance on the computer, actually Daphnis blazed a trail decades before them,’ says Taittinger
EVOLVING SPHERES, 1987
INFORMATION
‘Pixel Fields’ is on view at Richard Taittinger Gallery until 25 October
Photography: Daphnis Studio and Artist Rights Society. Courtesy of Richard Taittinger Gallery, New York
ADDRESS
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Richard Taittinger Gallery
154 Ludlow Street
New York, NY 10002
-
Remembering X-girl’s notorious 1994 fashion show, which starred a pre-fame Chloë Sevigny
A new book by Angela Hill, ‘X-girl Show’ – featuring an introduction by Chloë Sevigny – documents the cult label’s renegade 1990s fashion show, which took place in New York and captured a changing underground look
-
How to spot a fake Lamborghini: inside the sports car manufacturer’s Polo Storico division
Fake or fortune? We talk to the team of Lamborghini experts who can spot a priceless classic from a phoney
-
Meet The Good Plastic Company, rethinking the way we use plastic
This creatively responsible brand supplied, and recycled, the plastic plinths used in Wallpaper’s Milan Design Week exhibition. Here’s how it is reimagining the use and reuse of the contentious material
-
‘Her pictures looked like pictures everybody knew were the truth’: Diane Arbus at the Armory
Matthieu Humery curates more than 400 of Arbus’ photographs at New York’s Park Avenue Armory – every picture she was known to have printed
-
Mystic, feminine and erotic: the power of Penny Slinger’s bodies as landscape
Artist Penny Slinger continues her exploration of the sacred, surreal feminine in a Santa Monica exhibition, ‘Meeting at the Horizon’
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the week
It was a jam-packed week for the Wallpaper* staff, entailing furniture, tech and music launches and lots of good food – from afternoon tea to omakase
-
Out of office: what the Wallpaper* editors have been up to this week
This week saw the Wallpaper* team jet-setting to Jordan and New York; those of us left in London had to make do with being transported via the power of music at rooftop bars, live sets and hologram performances
-
Photographer Geordie Wood takes a leap of faith with first film, Divers
Geordie Wood delved into the world of professional diving in Fort Lauderdale for his first film
-
New book celebrates 100 years of New York City landmarks where LGBTQ+ history took place
Marc Zinaman’s ‘Queer Happened Here: 100 Years of NYC’s Landmark LGBTQ+ Places’ is a vital tribute to queer culture
-
A major Takashi Murakami exhibition sees the world in kaleidoscopic colour
The Cleveland Art Museum presents 'Takashi Murakami 'Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow', exploring outrage and escapist fantasy
-
Ai Weiwei’s new public installation is coming soon to Four Freedoms State Park
‘Camouflage’ by Ai Weiwei will launch the inaugural Art X Freedom project in September 2025, a new programme to investigate social justice and freedom