Solomon Ethe  (1924 - 2019) 

Solomon Ethe was born on June 22, 1924. A native New Yorker, he received a Masters of Business Administration from Columbia University before continuing onto a career as an economist for 15 years. During his term as an economist, Ethe began to collect the works of many distinguished modern artists, such as Paul Klee, Piet Mondrian, Joseph Cornell, Joan Miró, Francis Picabia, Kazimir Malevich, and František Kupka. Surrounded by these masterful compositions, Ethe’s interest in artistic pursuits blossomed, and, in 1960, he opened his first studio in the Flatiron District of New York.

Ethe was entirely self-taught. He used his art collection as reference and study materials to develop his Non-Objective Expressionist style. Ethe’s aesthetic is a clear combination of artistic principles pulled from these artists. When viewing his paintings, one can see the influence of Mondrian’s geometric grids, the colorful abstractions of Severini and Kupka, Klee and Miró’s expressive color fields, as well as Malevich’s commitment to pure abstraction. Ethe was also guided by the techniques of automated drawing and subconscious creation practiced by several of these artists. In these methods, the artist employs “a spontaneous and free-form interaction with the work in progress.” Many critics have remarked on the lyrical optimism demonstrated in his paintings, pronounced in evocative brushstrokes, sharp geometric forms, and bright colors, creating a spiritual effect on the viewer.
Solomon Ethe passed away on March 29, 2019 in New York City.