DiJulio Art

Criss Cross is an artist’s cooperative that formed in Colorado in the early 1970’s. Having evolved out of the artist commune, Drop City in the 1960’s, Criss Cross focused on issues surrounding “Pattern and Structure.” It then became associated with the 1970’s art movement – “Pattern and Decoration” (P&D).

In 1974, the five founders; Charles DiJulio, Gene Bernofsky, JoAnn Bernofsky, Richard Kallweit, and Clark Richert, all artists and filmmakers from Drop City, regrouped in Boulder, CO to start a new artist’s cooperative.

Criss Cross’s purpose, like Drop City’s, was to function in a “synergetic” interaction between peers to create experimental artistic innovation. Between 1974 –1980 the participants in Criss Cross expanded to include filmmaker Fred Worden, Marilyn Nelson, New York artists Gloria Klein, George Woodman, and others.

Between 1974 and 1980 Criss Cross published the nationally distributed avant garde periodical: “Criss-Cross Communications.” They also curated national and international exhibitions focused on “Pattern and Structure.”

#0001 "Untitled"
1979
81" x 58"
Acrylic on canvas

SOLD #0002 "1,2,3,4,5,6,7”
1976
82" x 67½"
Acrylic on canvas

#0003 "Untitled"
c. 1970's
82" x 67½"
Acrylic on canvas

#0004 "Untitled"
1976
80" x 65½"
Acrylic on canvas

#0005 "Untitled"
1975
79" x 65"
Acrylic on canvas

#0006 "Untitled"
1978
74½" x 55½"
Acrylic on canvas

SOLD "Untitled"
1979
25" x 17"
Acrylic on unstretched canvas

#0009 "Untitled"
1979
74½" x 52"
Acrylic on canvas

Pictured:

"Criss-Cross Art Communications", Issue #10

Insert of article written by Charles DiJulio in the above issue of Criss-Cross Art Communications, Number 10

CHARLES DIJULIO
A Definition of Pattern ¹

Makes a soulful definition of pattern which is itself a pattern. Let the concept of rhythm – a regular recurrence of events ² - stand as a provisional definition of pattern. Make a formula which contains all the information by which the formula itself may be repeated again and again to make a single form of indefinite magnitude. ³ Let the pattern be defined as both the formula and the form generated by the formula. If the formula is in the shape of a series of commands, or procedure (ritual), it will be loop-like: the last command is, “repeat the first command”.

May, 1977

Notes:
¹ The only definitive writing about pattern painting I know of is, "Patterns, Grids and Painting", by Amy Goldin, Artforum, Sept. 1975, p. 49.

² Standard College Dictionary, Harcourt, Brace & World Inc., New York, 1963

³ Alan Holden, The Nature Solids, Columbia University, Press, New York, 1965, p. 38