Stephen Antonakos
Neon for York (1986) - Neon tubing on metal column, 146" x 42"
Neon for York (1986), by Stephen Antonakos
Stephen Antonakos, born in Greece, came to the United States when he was four years old.1 His unique artwork changes two-dimensional drawing and painting into three-dimensional metal and glass tubing. Antonakos is primarily known for permanent installations of large-scale public art found in places like subway stations and airports around the globe. Antonakos began using neon in 1967 to combine form with intense color. Many of the world’s most prestigious museums have exhibited his artworks. Antonakos represented Greece at the 1997 Venice Biennial.
York College’s public spaces are open and its floor levels are exposed making it possible to see Antonakos’s Neon for York from many different perspectives. Neon has been in use for almost a century, but Antonakos’s installation looks futuristic like it belongs in a Steven Spielberg movie. It hovers over the atrium area glowing in green, pink and blue light that bounce off of every surface within its range. The sculpture is gracefully wrapped around a large pillar. It is made up of geometric shapes, but gives an impression of a snake slithering around a tree. Antanokos uses open, free shapes allowing the viewer to interpret his work. Some people see letters and numbers others see faces.
Antonakos is a deeply religious man who sometimes draws on his Greek Orthodox background for inspiration, which explains how spiritual his art can appear. His work is best termed as unobtrusive; it blends into its environment. Neon for York should be admired for its nonconformist message to students to use what they learn at York College in creative ways.
Links to Related Content (links open in a new browser window)
- Stephen Antonakos' Website - Antonakos' website includes his exhibitions, public works, images of his work, and much more.
- 1998 Interview with Stephen Antonakos - Antonakos was interviewed by Joe Kosmidou for Sculpture Magazine's January 1998 issue. In the article, "The Architecture of Light and Space," Antonakos explains his interest in neon, and his understanding of the differences between private and public art.
Notes
- Oral history interview Stephen Antonakos, May 9, 1975, Interviewer: Paul Cummings. Online at http://artarchives.si.edu/oralhist/antona75.htm, accessed May 13, 2002.
