American abstract expressionist painter, sculptor, and printmaker. Born in NY to Jewish parents, he left high school at age 17, and went to Europe. He traveled to France, Germany, and other countries in Central Europe, visiting art galleries and museums, and took classes at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere. He was the primary organizer of “The Irascibles” during the 1950s, and a subsequent member of the first generation Abstract Expressionists. He was the first of his generation to have his art collected by the Museum of Modern Art and the Guggenheim Museum.