Carlos Cruz-Diez (Venezuelan, b.1923) is a painter and installation artist known for his chromatic structures that present color as an experience of encountering light. Born in Caracas, he studied at the Escuela de Artes Plásticas y Aplicadas, and worked at an advertising agency and as a newspaper illustrator before developing his chromatic structures. One of his early series of Fisicromías, begun in 1959, were strips of cardboard, aluminum, and Plexiglas that were arranged on different levels, so as to give the impression of vibrating color. His series of Chromosaturations (1969) were 22 cabins made of red, blue, and green Plexiglas that were installed at the entrance of the Place de l’Odéon in Paris. Cruz-Diez emphasizes the viewer’s physical interaction with the work, instead of passive appreciation that requires knowledge of cultural context. He has also worked with silk-screen prints, video, architectural models, and traditional paintings. His work has been exhibited at the Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid, Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, among other institutions. He currently lives and works in Paris.