One is initially struck by the stark contrast between the highly saturated red and blue hues in this work. While each color is assigned to the left and right sides of the composition, respectively, there are moments along their border when the colors penetrate and surround each other. Closer inspection reveals more subtle color relationships in each half. The tangle of red lines—based on layered fragments of Times Square signs—takes on an orange tint compared to the fuchsia ground behind them. But both colors appear red, losing their respective orange and magenta hues when they are directly juxtaposed to the adjacent blue territory. Viewers can compare the intense color effects in this work to Gates to Times Square (Shades of Blue), in which Chryssa repeated the exact shapes and compositional structure but switched to a subtle monochromatic blue color scheme.
–When We Were Young: Rethinking Abstraction From The University At Albany Art Collections (1967-Present)