(1922 - 1997)

Born to Greek immigrant parents in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, Theodoros Stamos became part of the first generation of Abstract Expressionists known as the "Irascibles," which included Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning and Mark Rothko. While attending the American Artists School, Stamos worked at a frame shop on East 18th Street, where he met members of the European avant-garde, including Arshile Gorky and Fernand Léger, which would have lasting affects on his artistic production. Stamos relied on a variety of sources for inspiration, including mythology, Oriental art, and nature, specifically the textures, colors and forms found in the celestial and terrestrial realms. In 1942 Stamos was given a solo exhibition at the Betty Parson’s Gallery.