Tsingos Thanos (1914 - 1965) – an artist who left his indelible mark in the postwar Greek art scene, anti-conformist lifestyle, and constant re-invention of ideas and forms.
He was born in 1914 in Elefsina, studied architecture at the university in Athens (1931-1936) and worked as an architect until 1939. His adventurous life begins with the II World War; he served in the Middle East front, got involved in the Middle East coup, and was sentenced to death at first, then to life imprisonment, etc. Once he was pardoned and released (1946) he became one of the architects working on the city plan of Brasília, on Le Corbusier’s recommendation. After the end of the Brazilian project (1948), he settled in Paris, where worked with the avant-garde theatre and devoted himself to painting. He had already adopted the wild lifestyle of the bohemian artists of the era, but also self-destructive tendencies.
His 1st solo exhibition was held in Paris in 1950. More exhibitions followed in European countries and due to them, he was acknowledged as the most outstanding representative of the avant-garde movement of the time. He returned permanently to Athens in 1961, where he presented two solo exhibitions with moderate success.
His painting style belongs to the European trend of informal. His gestural writing and the rich color texture create surfaces full of emotional tension. Nevertheless, his works are rarely entirely abstract. Usually, there are figurative subjects (landscapes, animals or flowers), which are depicted in an abstract manner, as images of a fantasy world.
The freedom and boldness of his painting style were not duly appreciated in Greece on time. Despite his productivity, he could hardly sell his works, at least not during his living years, which is why he died destitute in 1965. Later, his paintings became very popular, confirming the quality of his work, but also his myth as a cursed artist.
Several exhibitions of his work were presented in Greece after his death (Athens, 1965). Retrospective exhibitions of his work were organized in 1965 (Athens), in 1980 (Paris) and in 2005 (Elefsina).
He was born in 1914 in Elefsina, studied architecture at the university in Athens (1931-1936) and worked as an architect until 1939. His adventurous life begins with the II World War; he served in the Middle East front, got involved in the Middle East coup, and was sentenced to death at first, then to life imprisonment, etc. Once he was pardoned and released (1946) he became one of the architects working on the city plan of Brasília, on Le Corbusier’s recommendation. After the end of the Brazilian project (1948), he settled in Paris, where worked with the avant-garde theatre and devoted himself to painting. He had already adopted the wild lifestyle of the bohemian artists of the era, but also self-destructive tendencies.
His 1st solo exhibition was held in Paris in 1950. More exhibitions followed in European countries and due to them, he was acknowledged as the most outstanding representative of the avant-garde movement of the time. He returned permanently to Athens in 1961, where he presented two solo exhibitions with moderate success.
His painting style belongs to the European trend of informal. His gestural writing and the rich color texture create surfaces full of emotional tension. Nevertheless, his works are rarely entirely abstract. Usually, there are figurative subjects (landscapes, animals or flowers), which are depicted in an abstract manner, as images of a fantasy world.
The freedom and boldness of his painting style were not duly appreciated in Greece on time. Despite his productivity, he could hardly sell his works, at least not during his living years, which is why he died destitute in 1965. Later, his paintings became very popular, confirming the quality of his work, but also his myth as a cursed artist.
Several exhibitions of his work were presented in Greece after his death (Athens, 1965). Retrospective exhibitions of his work were organized in 1965 (Athens), in 1980 (Paris) and in 2005 (Elefsina).
