Since the 1960s, Helène Aylon has produced a wide-ranging body of work grounded in notions of time, material exploration, and social and political concerns. One of her earliest bodies of work, the Elusive Silver series (1969–73), shows an early interest in change and a resistance to tradition. By laying paint on acrylic and aluminum, Aylon’s works become reflective, semi-translucent surfaces that change based on the viewer’s movement and the surrounding conditions. In a constant state of flux, the works celebrate transformation and the ephemeral qualities of light, rather than permanence and stasis. Aylon has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including three awards from the Pollock Krasner Foundation, two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, two fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Women’s Caucus for Art. Works by Aylon have appeared in solo and group shows in museums and galleries throughout the United States, Europe, and Israel, and are in the collections of the Whitney Museum, New York; SFMoMA, San Francisco; and the Jewish Museum, New York, among many other institutions.
