William Baziotes  (American, 1912-1963) 

William Baziotes (American, 1912–1963) was a painter associated with the Abstract Expressionist movement and best known for depicting Surrealist-inspired, biomorphic imagery. Born in Pittsburgh, PA, he studied at the National Academy of Design in New York City, NY, and became friends with many of the emerging Abstract Expressionists, such as Jackson Pollock and Robert Motherwell. The influence of Cubism and the grids of Piet Mondrian can be seen in one of Baziotes’ early works, The Room (1945). Baziotes was also inspired by the writings of Charles Baudelaire, the French Symbolist poets, and ancient Greek sculpture. The Surrealist principles of fantasy, automatism, and mystery are key elements in Baziotes’ work. In The Flesh Eaters (1952), he creates a fantastical marine world suggestive of the story of the Cyclops in Homer’s Odyssey. Throughout his career, Baziotes taught at the Brooklyn Museum Art School, the City University of New York, Hunter College, and New York University. His work is currently held in several permanent collections, including the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Guggenheim Museum in New York.