Yannis Gaitis, Untitled

A minimalist composition

Unititiled by Yannis Gaitis is a work that combines elements of painting, sculpture and installation. For its creation, Gaitis used marine plywood, which he employed in a restrained yet highly expressive manner.

The signature hat-wearing figures – the artist’s trademark – take centre stage here as well. As in most of his works, the 4 figures are identical to one another. In this case, however, they’re rendered through cut-outs. Their interiors are traversed by horizontal black-and-white lines, creating a visual interplay of light and shadow.

It is a minimalist composition marked by geometric precision, in which light plays an active role as it spills through the openings.

The work’s symbolic dimension

Symbolisms permeate the work. Through them, Yannis Gaitis seeks to comment on the modern way of life in the cities.

The hat-wearing figures are repeated with a deliberate standardisation. They symbolise the modern individual, whose identity fades within the uniformity imposed by the urban environment.

At the same time, the black-and-white lines highlight the inner contradiction experienced by people in modern societies. A contradiction between their inherent desire for individuality and the reality of their inescapable integration in an anonymous mass.

Untitled is a typical example of the artist’s mature period, in which the themes of uniformity and massification of the modern individual prevail.

His life in a nutshell

Yannis Gaitis (1923-1984) was born in Athens. He studied at the Athens School of Fine Arts from 1944 until 1951. 

In 1954 he moved to Paris. There he attended classes at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière. 

Artistic influences

During his studies in Athens, Gaitis participated in the founding of the art group “Oi Akraioi” (The Extremists). Alekos Kontopoulos was also part of the group, as were other artists who had turned to Abstractionism.

In the 50s, during his stay in Paris, the painter was influenced by amorphous art. These influences contributed significantly to him creating his first dynamic figures and restricting his colour palette to white, black, red and blue. The figure of the little man was the natural evolution of the above.

From landscapes to little men

Until 1960 Gaitis’ works were abstract expressionist compositions and cubist landscapes.

Just after the mid-60s he started shaping his personal style around the human figures and their attached symbolisms. This is how he created his famous little men.

The little men were part of a faceless crowd, in the context of modern life and indiscriminate massification. Initially the little man is repeated around a central representation. Then they are given a shape and become standardised.

The spontaneous representation of the modern world through his own perspective for man became a perpetual exploration for the artist.

The little man became the foundation for the artist to create installations and sculptures, and he also used it on clothes, fabrics and toys.

Hardship before recognition

When Gaitis first appeared in the visual arts scene (in the 40s and 50s) his work was not well-received. His refusal to accept the merger of modern art and Greek tradition came in contrast with the trends of the time. 

He was very much aware of the fact that his critical stance against the phenomenon of massification may not be easily accepted by the public. As he said: “Today I create the little man. I don’t have the power to change him because the little man represents me perfectly... People do not want to see themselves as little men. This is why they say ‘that is not me.’ And yet, it is...”

Over time, through his work, he managed to overcome the initial negative expectations. Today his works are readily recognisable, and, what is more, they form their own, independent unit within modern-Greek art. Gaitis’ works stand out for their originality and symbolic themes.

Yannis Gaitis in the Alpha Bank Art Collection

The following works by Yannis Gaitis are also part of our Art Collection:

• Figures
• In the garden of wonders

Participation in exhibitions

The piece Untitled was presented in the retrospective exhibition “Yannis Gaitis – Retrospective exhibition: 100 years since his birth” hosted at the Municipal Art Gallery of Thessaloniki (Casa Bianca) from 06.10.2023 to 10.03.2024.

The piece Untitled by Yannis Gaitis is displayed inside the Alpha Bank building at the HUB26 in Thessaloniki.

You can visit it by appointment. Contact us to book your visit.