Charles Florian Cajori (March 9, 1921 – December 1, 2013) was an abstract expressionist painter who, through his drawing, painting and teaching, made a significant contribution to the New York School of artists that emerged in the 1950s.

[1] Marion was a pianist and educator who gave piano lessons and started a school inspired by John Dewey’s philosophy of inclusion and social reform.

[2] Early on Cajori discovered New York's downtown scene, and began attending the lively (and sometimes feisty) gatherings at the Cedar Tavern and the panels at the fabled Eighth Street Club.

He became especially close to Willem de Kooning and Franz Kline, and in 1952 he joined with Lois Dodd, Angelo Ippolito, William King and Fred Mitchell to found the Tanager Gallery on East 10th St.[3] The gallery was to become central to the lives of many of the contemporary working artists.

In 1959–60, he taught at the University of California at Berkeley, where he regularly joined Richard Diebenkorn and Elmer Bischoff in figure drawing sessions.

[5] In 1964, joining with former students of Pratt Institute and several artists including Mercedes Matter, Sidney Geist, Georgio Spaventa, and Esteban Vicente, he founded the New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting and Sculpture.

The paintings of Cajori, with the exception of his early formative work, always revolved around the figure and the space.

In 2011, Cajori submitted a statement to E. Ashley Rooney for inclusion in his book on New England artists: “First is the acknowledgment of chaos: its contradictions and wayward forces.

[12] Ken Johnson, "Art in review: Charles Cajori, ”The New York Times, April 28, 2000.

"A Talk Between Old Friends," Painter Charles Cajori & Sculptor Tom Doyle, video discussion presented by Behnke Doherty Gallery, Washington Depot.