Max Pine

Max Pine was an American artist primarily known for his abstract expressionist paintings and later for his hard-edge geometric abstractions. Born in 1903 in Turobin, Poland, Pine immigrated to the United States as a child.

He studied at the National Academy of Design in New York City and later at the Art Students League. Initially, his work was influenced by social realism and the Ashcan School, but he transitioned to abstract expressionism in the 1940s. During this period, his paintings were characterized by bold brushstrokes, vibrant colors, and a focus on gesture and movement.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Pine shifted to a hard-edge style, characterized by precise geometric forms and clean lines. He often worked with symmetrical compositions and a limited palette of colors, creating works that emphasized clarity and order. His hard-edge paintings explored the relationships between shapes, colors, and space.

Pine exhibited extensively throughout his career, including at the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. His work is held in the collections of numerous museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art. He died in 1988.