William Baziotes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Baziotes
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William Baziotes, ca. 1947, Francis Lee, photographer. William and Ethel Baziotes papers, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
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| Born | June 11, 1912 |
| Died | June 6, 1963 (aged 50) New York City, US
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| Education | National Academy of Design |
| Known for | Painting |
| Movement | Abstract expressionism |
William Baziotes (born June 11, 1912 – died June 6, 1963) was an American painter. His art was inspired by Surrealism, a style that explores dreams and imagination. He was also an important part of Abstract Expressionism, a movement where artists express feelings and ideas through colors and shapes.
Contents
About William Baziotes
Early Life and Art Training
William Baziotes was born and grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His parents, Angelos and Stella, were from Greece. He started his art education in 1933 at the National Academy of Design in New York City. He finished his studies there in 1936.
After art school, William Baziotes worked for the Federal Art Project. This was a government program that helped artists during the Great Depression. He taught art from 1936 to 1938. He also worked on the WPA Easel Project from 1938 to 1940.
His Unique Art Style
In the 1940s, William Baziotes became friends with many artists who were starting the Abstract Expressionist movement. These artists were interested in art from ancient cultures and in a technique called automatism. Automatism is a way of creating art without thinking too much, letting your subconscious guide you.
Even though he was part of this group, Baziotes's art was more like European Surrealism. Surrealism often shows dream-like scenes and strange combinations of objects. His first art show by himself was in 1944. It was held at Peggy Guggenheim's Art of This Century Gallery.
Teaching and Legacy
In 1948, William Baziotes helped start an art school called the Subjects of the Artist School. He founded it with other famous artists like Mark Rothko and Robert Motherwell. They held public lectures there with well-known speakers. However, the school did not make enough money and closed in 1949.
William Baziotes continued to teach art for many years. He taught at places like the Brooklyn Museum Art School and the Museum of Modern Art. He also taught at Hunter College and New York University in New York City.
William Baziotes and his wife, Ethel, were married in 1941. They lived in northern Manhattan. They both loved ancient Greek art and the poems of Charles Baudelaire. Many of Baziotes's paintings were inspired by these things. He passed away in June 1963, just before his 51st birthday.
Some of his most famous paintings are Aquatic, Dusk, and The Room. You can see these artworks at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York.
Where You Can See His Art
William Baziotes's paintings are kept in many important art museums.
- Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Museum of Modern Art
- Smithsonian American Art Museum
- Whitney Museum of American Art
- Reading Public Museum
See also
In Spanish: William Baziotes para niños
