Herb Aach, American painter

 

Herb Aach was born on December 14, 1923, in Cologne, Germany. His father was a sculptor and his mother was a musician. The family moved to New York City in 1938, where Aach studied at the National Academy of Design and the Art Students League.

During World War II, Aach served in the U.S. Army, and afterwards he continued his studies at the Brooklyn Museum Art School. In the 1950s, he became associated with the Abstract Expressionist movement, which was characterized by its emphasis on spontaneous, gestural painting.

Aach's early work was heavily influenced by the work of Mark Rothko, and his paintings from this period often featured large areas of color with subtle gradations and variations. Later in his career, he began to explore the properties of light and space in his work, using unusual pigments and techniques to create highly textured and visually stunning paintings.

In addition to his artistic practice, Aach was also a respected art educator. He taught at a number of institutions, including the Maryland Institute College of Art, the Brooklyn Museum Art School, and Queens College. Aach was also involved in art activism and was a member of the Art Workers' Coalition, which advocated for greater representation of artists in museums and galleries.

Aach received numerous awards and accolades throughout his career, including a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1963. His work can be found in the collections of many major museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.

Aach died of cancer on March 13, 1985, in New York City.

During his career, Herb Aach became known for his unique approach to color and his use of non-traditional materials in his paintings. He was interested in the properties of light and color, and his work often featured highly saturated hues and strong contrasts.

Aach's use of unusual pigments was an important aspect of his work. He experimented with a wide variety of materials, including ground glass, pulverized lava, and even pulverized eggshells. He would mix these materials with traditional artist pigments to create unique and highly textured surfaces in his paintings.

In addition to his painting, Aach was also an accomplished printmaker. He created a number of lithographs and screenprints over the course of his career, often using a similar approach to color and composition as in his paintings.

Aach's work was featured in many solo and group exhibitions throughout his lifetime, and he was considered an important figure in the Abstract Expressionist movement. His work continues to be highly regarded by art critics and collectors today.

Overall, Herb Aach was an important artist of the 20th century, known for his innovative approach to color and his unique use of materials in his paintings. His work continues to influence contemporary artists and is celebrated for its vibrancy, texture, and beauty.