Nicholas Calas, a Poet And Art Critic

Nicholas Calas, an art critic and poet who directed attention in his writings to young artists and new art movements, died of heart failure Saturday at his home in Manhattan. He was 81 years old.

Mr. Calas contributed to Art Forum, Arts Magazine, Art International and other journals. His poems, written in Greek, were translated into English for publication here.

Born to Greek parents in Lausanne, Switzerland, Mr. Calas was educated in Greece. He intended to become a lawyer, but turned instead to writing. During the 1930s he lived mainly in Paris, where he joined the Surrealist movement.

In 1940 Mr. Calas came to the United States and worked for the Office of War Information during World War II. He became a United States citizen in 1945.

He collaborated with the anthropologist Margaret Mead on ''Primitive Heritage,'' a 1953 anthology of texts chosen for their literary and humanist significance. Many of Mr. Calas's essays on modern art were collected in ''Art in the Age of Risk,'' which centered on his examination of modern paintings to uncover their deeper cultural meanings.

Mr. Calas is survived by his wife, the former Elena von Hoershelman.