Reinhardt, Ad (1913 - 1967)

Born in Buffalo, New York, he was an early exponent of Minimal Art and a prominent figure in the New York contemporary art scene. His commitment was to painting purely for the process of painting. He studied art history at Columbia University, attended the National Academy of Design, the American Artists' School, and the Institute of Fine Arts of New York University. In 1937, he joined the American Abstract Artists group and worked for the WPA on the Federal Art Project. He also did collages and Cubist paintings with hard-edge, flat planes of color. In the 1940s, he created numerous cartoons satirical of the art world and became associated with Abstract Expressionism, adopting the method of painting all over the canvas in a uniform, monochromatic way. As he got older, his painting became darker and more austere and geometric forms were barely distinguishable from the background.