Born 1937, Kansas
Lives and works in Ruby, New York
EDUCATION
1964 MFA, University of Arizona, Arizona
1961 BA, Fort Hays State University, Fort Hays, Kansas
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2011
"Terra Firma", Haines Gallery, San Francisco CA
“Quintessence: Max Cole Overtime,” Kunstgalerie Bonn, Germany
2010
“Light and Line: New Paintings,” Larry Becker Fine Art, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
“Max Cole – Jens Trimpin”, Galerie Schlegl, Zurich, Switzerland
2008
Schmidt Contemporary Art, St. Louis, Missouri
2007
“On Redtail Pond: Paintings from the Summer,” Galerie Lindner, Vienna, Austria.
“Paintings from the Autumn . . . “ Haines Gallery, San Francisco, California (catalog)
2006
Studio la Città, Verona, Italy (catalog)
2005
Museum Chasa Jaura, Val Chava, Switzerland
“Nero Avorio,” Art Antica e Contemporanea e Confronto, Crocisso in Avorio / Dippinti di Max Cole,
Milan, Italy (catalog)
2004
Kolumba, Diozesanmeseum, Cologne, Germany
“Toward Infinity,” Galerie Schlegl, Zürich, Switzerland (catalog)
Galerie Linder, Vienna, Austria
“Paintings and Drawings,” Haines Gallery, San Francisco, California (catalog)
2003
Galerie Michael Sturm, Stuttgart, Germany
2002
Neuer Kunstverein Aschaffenburg (with Jean Maboules) Aschaffenburg, Germany (catalog)
Galerie Walter Storms, Munich, Germany
2001
I-8 Galeria, Reyjavik, Iceland
871 Fine Arts, San Francisco, California
“Paintings,” Haines Gallery, San Francisco, California
2000
Haus für Konstructive und Kondrete Kunst, Zürich, Switzerland (catalog)
Galerie Belvedere, Milan, Italy
Galerie Michael Sturm, Stuttgart, Germany
1999
Gudrun Spielvogel Gallery and Edition, Munich, Germany
Galerie Schlégl, Zürich, Switzerland
Galerie Ludke, Cologne, Germany
1998
“Intimate Abstractions,” Haines Gallery, San Francisco, California
Museum of Modern Art, Otterndorf, Germany (catalog)
1997
Galerie Michael Sturm, Stuttgart, Germany
Galerie Appel und Fertsch, Frankfurt, Germany
Galerie Ludke, Cologne, Germany
1996
“Painting,” Haines Gallery, San Francisco, California
Galerie Schlégl, Zürich, Switzerland
Stark Gallery, New York, New York
Galerie Conrads, Dusseldorf, Germany
1995
Roswell Museum and Art Center, Roswell, New Mexico
Kiyo Higashi Gallery, Los Angeles, California
1994
Kiyo Higashi Gallery, Los Angeles, California
1993
Museum of Art, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (catalog)
“Recent Drawings,” Haines Gallery, San Francisco, California
Kiyo Higashi Gallery, Los Angeles, California
1992
Museum Folkwang, Graphics Cabinet, Essen, Germany
Kunstraum Kassel, Kassel, Germany
Galerie Schoppmann, Dusseldorf, Germany
1991
Kiyo Higashi Gallery, Los Angeles, California
Galerie Schlégl, Zürich, Switzerland
1990
One person show, Cologne Art Fair, Galerie Schroeder
"Recent Paintings”, Haines Gallery, San Francisco, California
1988 Galerie Helene Grubair, Miami, Florida
1987 Zabriskie Gallery, New York, New York
1986 Oscarsson-Siegeltuch Gallery, New York, New York
1984 Michael Lord Gallery, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
1983 L. A. Louver, Los Angeles, California
1980
Miami/Dade College Art Gallery, Miami, Florida
L. A. Louver, Los Angeles, California
1979
Sidney Janis Gallery, New York, New York (catalog)
L. A. Louver, Los Angeles, California
1977 Sidney Janis Gallery, New York, New York
1976 Ruth Schaffner Gallery, Los Angeles, California
1972 Comara Gallery, Los Angeles, California
1971 Comara Gallery, Los Angeles, California
1970 Comara Gallery, Los Angeles, California
1964 Museum of Art, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
1963 261 Gallery, Tucson, Arizona
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS (since 1984)
2011
“That’s What Friends Are For…,” Neuer Kunstverein Aschaffenburg, Germany
2009
“To…A Changing Exhibition of Work by Gallery Artists,” Larry Becker Contemporary Art, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
“Other Voices, Other Rooms,” Max Cole, Marcia Haffif, Winston Roeth, David Simpson, Fred Sanback. Curated by Steven Evans. Dorsky Gallery, Long Island City, New York (brochure)
“A Bit of America,” Robert Barry, Max Cole, Sol Lewitt, Robert Mangold, David Rabinowitch,
James Reineking, Ed Ruscha, Richard Serra, Phil Sims, Roy Thurston, Shawn Wallis, Jerry Zeniuk. Vaserely Museum, Budapest, Hungary (catalog)
“A Bit of America,” Galerie Lindner, Vienna, Austria
2008
“Zur Kontingenz der Linie,” Kunstraum Alexander Bürkle, Freiburg, Germany
“Gestern War/Heute ist,” Museum Gegenstandsfreier Kunst, Otterndorf, Germany (catalog)
“There is Desire Left…. Knock Knock: 40 Years of Fine Arts from the Mondstudi Collection,” Kunstmuseum
Bern, Switzerland. Traveled to Wiesbaden Museum, Wiesbaden, Germany (catalog)
“Call it what you Like!”, Art Centre Silkeborg Bad, Denmark (catalog)
“Fundamentals of Abstraction II: In memory of Kim Wauson,” Haines Gallery, San Francisco, California
2007
“Maestri del ‘900: da Boccioni a Fontana. La collezione di un raffinato cultore dell’arte modern,” MART,
Rovereto, Italy
“The Panza Collection: An Experience of Light and Color,” Albright-Knox Museum, Buffalo, New York,
(catalog)
“On Paper,” Haines Gallery, San Francisco, California
2006
“Director’s Choice,” Haines Gallery, San Francisco, California
“Touche,” Galerie Michael Sturm, Stuttgart, Germany
“Thirty-fifth Anniversary Exhibition,” Galerie Schlégl, Zürich, Switzerland
2005
“Three New York Artists,” Galerie Schlégl, Zürich, Switzerland
“ Director’s Choice: Contemporary Art with Objects from Asia,” Haines Gallery, San Francisco, California
“Minimalism and After,” Daimler Chrysler Contemporary, Berlin, Germany (catalog)
“Ad Infinitum II: the Aesthetics of Repetition II,” Haines Gallery, San Francisco, California
“Je ne regrette rien,” Studio La Città, Verona, Italy
2004
“On Paper,” Weatherspoon Art Museum, Greensboro, North Carolina (catalog)
“Inaugural Exhibition,” Kunstraum Alexander Burkle, Freiburg, Germany
2003
“Inaugural Exhibition, selections from the permanent collection,” Museum of Modern Art, Rovereto, Italy (catalog)
“Works on Paper,” Haines Gallery, San Francisco, California
“Lines,” Hunsaker/Schlesinger Fine Art, Santa Monica, California
2002
“Fifteen – 15th Anniversary Exhibition,” Haines Gallery, San Francisco, California
“La stanze dell’arte,” (curated by Gabriella Belli) MART, Rovereto, Italy
2000
“Art of the 80's and 90's, from Panza di Biumo Collection, “American Academy in Rome, Rome, Italy (catalog)
Panza Collection, de Villa Menafoglio Litta Panza, Fondo per L’Ambiento Italiano, Permanent Collection, Varese, Italy (catalog)
Studio la Città, Verona, Italy. Two-person exhibition with Julia Mangold
1999
“Radical Past,” Armory Center for the Arts, Pasadena, California (catalog)
“Invitational ’99,” Knoedler Gallery, New York, New York
“Morbida Quiete e la Notte,” Studio La Citta, Verona (catalog)
1998
“Reflections,” Galerie Schlégl, Zürich, Switzerland
“Drawing Exhibition,” Galerie Michael Sturm, Stuttgart, Germany
1997
“Obsession + Devotion”, Haines Gallery, San Francisco, California
“Manifestation of d’Art Nouveau International et Forum,” MANIF 97, Seoul Art Center, Seoul, Korea (catalog)
1996
“Art of the 80’s and 90’s,” Panza Collection, Palazzo delle Albere, Trento, Italy (catalog)
“Einblick,” Galerie Michael Sturm, Stuttgart, Germany
“Concrete Reality and Reflection, Part II,” Galerie Schlégl, Zürich, Switzerland
“Acquiring Minds: Contemporary Art in Santa Barbara Collections,” Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum, Santa Barbara, California
“Karo Dame,” Aargauer Kunsthaus, Aarau, Switzerland (catalog)
1994
“Pen and Ink,” Contemporary Arts Forum, Santa Barbara, California
1992
“Artists for Amnesty”, Foundational Nationale des Arts, Paris, France (catalog)
“Intimate Abstraction,” Haines Gallery, San Francisco, California
1991
“Paradox: The Artist's Mind Through Time,” Museum of Fine Art of New Mexico, Santa Fe, New Mexico (catalog)
“Drawings,” Proctor Art Center and the New York Studio School, New York, New York
1989
“Mind and Matter: New American Abstraction,” traveling exhibition: Chosum Ilbo Gallery, Seoul, Korea;
Dowse Art Museum, Wellington, New Zealand; Manawatu Art Gallery, Palmerston North, New Zealand; Bishop Sutter Gallery, New Zealand; Manila Art Museum, The Philippines; National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; National Museum Gallery, Singapore (catalog)
“Fundamental Abstraction”, Haines Gallery, San Francisco, California
1988
“Visions of Inner Space: The Action Mark in Contemporary American Painting,” Wight Art Gallery,
University of California at Los Angeles and National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, India (catalog)
“Ad Infinitum-Aesthetics of Repetition,” Haines Gallery, San Francisco, California
1987
“Rigor,” John Good Gallery, New York, New York
“Trends in Geometric Abstract Art,” Tel Aviv Museum, Tel Aviv, Israel (catalog)
“Years of Passage,” Fresno Art Center, Fresno, California
1986
“The Severe and the Romantic: Geometric Humanism in American Painting 1950-1980,” Marilyn Pearl Gallery, New York, New York
“Spirit Tracks,” Pratt Manhattan Center Gallery, New York, New York (catalog)
“Absolutes Defined: Line, Light and Surface, Max Cole, Milton Resnick and Frederick Matys Thursz,” Oscarsson-Siegeltuch Gallery, New York, New York
1985
“Abstract Painting Redefined,” traveling exhibition: Meisel Gallery, New York; Munsun-Williams-Proctor Museum, Utica, New York; Danforth Museum, Framingham, Massachusetts; Bucknell University, Lewiston, Pennsylvania; Stonybrook Fine Arts Gallery, New York, New York (catalog)
“Exceptions 3 - Paperworks,” Pratt Manhattan Center Gallery, New York, New York
“Santa Barbara Collects,” Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara, California
1984
“In Celebration of Women, Part II,” Sidney Janis Gallery, New York, New York (catalog)
“Drawing, Painting and Sculpture: American and European,” L. A. Louver, Los Angeles, California
“Post-War American Purism,” Marilyn Pearl Gallery, New York, New York
“The California Connections: Sixteen Paintings from the Gifford and Joann Phillips Collection”,
Museum of Fine Arts of New Mexico, Santa Fe, New Mexico (catalog)
1982
“LA - NY,” Koplin Gallery, Los Angeles, California
“Shift LA/NY,” Neuberger Museum, Purchase, New York; the Newport Harbor Museum, Newport
California (catalog)
1981
“Dark Thoughts: Black Paintings,” Pratt Manhattan Center Gallery, New York, New York
“Abstraction in Los Angeles 1950-1980: Selections from the Gribin Collection,” Fine Arts Galleries of
California State Universities at Northridge and Irvine, California
“Decade: Los Angeles Painting in the Seventies,” Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, California (catalog)
1980
“Seven Decades of Modern Art: Sidney Janis Collection,” La Jolla Museum and Santa Barbara Museum
of Art, California
“Constructivism and the Geometric Tradition,” McCrory Collection, traveling exhibition: Albright-Knox
Museum, Dallas Museum, La Jolla Museum, Seattle Museum (catalog)
1979
“Aspects of Abstract,” Crocker Museum, Sacramento, California (catalog)
“Black and White are Colors,” Galleries of the Claremont Colleges, Claremont, California (catalog)
1978
“Shades of Gray,” Malone Art Gallery, Loyola Marymount University, Santa Monica, California
“A Contemporary Masters Show,” Libra Gallery, Claremont Colleges, Claremont, California
1977
“Photographs by Southern California Painters and Sculptors,” College of Creative Studies, University of
California, Santa Barbara, California (catalog)
“Less is More,” Sidney Janis Gallery, New York, New York (catalog)
“Thirty-Fifth Biannual,” Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. (catalog)
“Private Images: Photographs by Painters,” Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, California
1976
“New Abstract Painting,” Los Angeles County Museum of Art: Max Cole, James Hayward, John M. Miller
and Margit Omar, Los Angeles, California (catalog)
“Southern California Artists,” Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California (catalog)
1975
“Market Street Program,” three person exhibition, Venice, California
“Twenty-one Artists: Invisible/Visible,” Long Beach Art Museum, Long Beach, California and Mills College,
Oakland, California (catalog)
“Drawings,” Ruth Schaffner Gallery, Los Angeles, California
“Color, Form and Surface,” Lang Art Gallery, Scripps College, Claremont, California (catalog)
“Eight Los Angeles Painters,” Long Beach City College Art Gallery, Long Beach, California
“Biannual Exhibition of Contemporary American Art,” Whitney Museum of American Art, New York,
New York (catalog)
“The Classic Revival,” traveling exhibition to eight mid-western museums
1974
Womanspace, Los Angeles, California. Two-person show: Martha Alf and Max Cole
1968
“West Coast 1968,” E.B. Crocker Art Gallery, Sacramento, California
“California Painters: A Survey of California Painters in the Decade, “ Tampa Bay Art Center; Ringling Museum
of Art; Galleries of Florida State University (catalog)
“Contemporary American Painting and Sculpture,” Krannert Art Museum, University of Illinois, Champaign,
Illinois (catalog)
1966
“Annual,” San Francisco Museum of Art, San Francisco, California
“Annual Exhibition of West Coast Painting, Frye Museum, Seattle, Washington
“Texture and the Tactile Surface,” traveling exhibition to the Western Museums Association
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
2011
Di Marino, Jean. "Vatican Revives Role as Premier Art Patron," Voice of America, July 18, 2011.
Whiting, Sam. “5 things in February,” San Francisco Chronicle, February 6, 2011.
Curiel, Jonathan. “Max Cole: ‘Terra Firma’: Art Review,” SF Weekly, January 19, 2011.
2010
Newhall, Edith. “Back in view,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 2, 2010.
2007
Whiteside, Amber. “ Max Cole and Candace Plummer Gaudiani at Haines Gallery,” Artweek, May
Volume 38, Issue 4.
2006
Madesani, Angela. “Max Cole,” ArtForum, November 2006.
2001
Van Proyen, Mark. “Max Cole at Haines and 871 Fine Arts,” Art in America, November, p. 156.
Bonnetti, David. “Max Cole at Haines,” San Francisco Chronicle, May 3, 2001.
Bonnetti, David. San Francisco Chronicle, April 20, 2001.
1999
Ermen, Reinhard. “The Power of Concentration: On the Paintings of Max Cole,” Kunstforum,
March-April.
Kraft, Martin. “Organic Orders,” review, Handelszeitung, May.
1997
Oner, Ali, “Die New Yorker Kunstlerin Max Cole”, Article Neve 'Bildende Kinst, December.
1996
“The Panza di Biumo Collection - Some artists from the 80s and 90s”, published by Electa, Milan, Italy.
Reinhard, Ermen, “Max Cole”, Galerie Conrads, Dusseldorf, February.
1994
Cutajar, Mario, “Drawn and Flattened,” Visions, Winter.
Greene, David A., Art Issues, March-April.
Knight, Christopher, “The Highs were High and the Lows were Low,” Los Angeles Times, January.
Pagel, David, “Hypnotic Dances,” Los Angeles Times, October 6.
Pagel, David, Los Angeles Times, August 4.
Pagel, David, Los Angeles Times, November 18.
1992
Kampmann, M. von, “Pulsierende Lineatur,” Soest Auszieger, April.
Schwarze, Dirk, “HNA Algemeine, “ Kassel, January 16.
Stecker, Raimund, “Kassel/Essen: Max Cole,” Kunst Bulletin, Switzerland, April
Wortz, Melinda, “New Editions,”Art News, September.
1991
Crockett, Tobey, “Painting the Town,” Venice Magazine, November.
Hemmerdinger, William, “Max Cole,” Art Scene, Los Angeles, May.
Kimura, Aya, Review, Nikkei Art Magazine, Japan, July.
1990
Bohnen, Uli, “Cosmopolitan Folk Art or Different Local Times on One Canvas”, (catalogue), Galerie Schroder, Monchengladbach, Germany.
Kimura, Aya, Nikkei Art Magazine, Japan, July.
West Deutsche Zeitung, Monchengladbach, Germany, January 30.
Rapko, John, “The Drama of Visibility: Max Cole at Haines Gallery,” Artweek, October.
Stecker, Raimund, “You See What You See, but You Don't Only See What Is,” catalogue essay, Galerie Schroder, Monchengladbach, Germany.
Rheinishe, Post, Monchengladbach, Germany, January 30.
1988
Ahlander, Leslie Judd, The Miami News, January 22.
Allen, Lois, “Visions Exhibition: Inner-Experience Legacy,” The Oregonian, January 20.
Cameron, Dan, “In the Realm of the Hyper Abstract”, Arts Magazine, February.
Baker, Kenneth, San Francisco Chronicle, February 26.
Curtis, Cathy, “The Expressive Gesture,” Los Angeles Magazine, January 16.
Times of India, March 12.
“Visions of Inner Space,” The Statesman (India), March 12.
Jelenfy. “Max Cole”, Rant, San Francisco, May.
1987
Dubin, Zan, “Exhibit of 'Just Let it Happen' Works,” Los Angeles Times, December 20.
Thompson, Walter, “Max Cole at Zabriskie”, Art in America, November.
Erman, Dr. Reinhard, “Visual Music: Rhythm in the Paintings of Max Cole,” catalogue, Museum Folkwang, Essen, Germany.
Brensen, Michael, New York Times, August 28.
1986
Brensen, Michael, New York Times, April 25.
Cameron, Dan, “In the Realm of the Hyper Abstract,” Arts Magazine, November.
Mahoney, Robert, “Absolutes Defined”, Arts Magazine, November.
Gimblett, Max, catalogue introduction, “Spirit Tracks,” Pratt Manhattan Center Gallery, New York.
1985
Gleuck, Grace, “Abstract Painters Regain Old Charisma,” New York Times, March 8.
Stapen, Nancy, “Taking a New Look at Abstract Painting”, Boston Herald, July 28.
Westfall, Stephan, review, Art in America, January.
Lipson, Karen, “Big Abstractions Form a Varied Lot”, News Day, New York, December 27.
1984
Auer, James. “Looking at Art”, review. Milwaukee Journal, November 25.
Westfall, Stephan, “Post-War American Purism”, Art Magazine, November.
1983
Zimmer, William, “Before and After Look from the Coast”, New York Times – Westchester edition, October 30.
1980
Muchnic, Suzanne, Art Walk, Los Angeles Times, September 20.
Muchnic, Suzanne, “Sidney Janis' Traveling Art Show,” Los Angeles Times, June 16, 1980.
Mallinson, Constance, “Music for the Eyes”, Artweek, October 11.
HONORS AND GRANTS
2009 Contemporary Artist’s Meeting with the Pope, Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, Italy
2005 Artist in Residence, The Joseph and Anni Albers Foundation, Connecticut
1988 Research Fellowship, Indo-U.S. Sub-Commission, U. S. Dept. of State for exhibition and travel in India
1987 Adolph Gottlieb Foundation Grant
1986 Pollock / Krasner Foundation Grant
1983 Visual Artists Fellowship, The National Endowment for the Arts
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York
The American Center, New Delhi, India
Chait Foundation Collection, New York, New York
Daimler Chrysler Collection, Berlin, Germany
Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, Texas
Diozesan Museum, Cologne, Germany
Emprise Bank, Wichita, Kansas
Everson Museum, Syracuse, New York, New York
Erzbischofliches Diozesanmuseum, Cologne, Germany
Florida International University, Miami, Florida
FAI – Fondo per l’Ambiente Italiano, Villa Menafoglio, Varese, Italy
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, San Francisco, California
Grunwald Center for Graphic Art, UCLA, Los Angeles, California
Kolumba Diozesanmuseum, Cologne, Germany
Kramarsky Collection, New York, New York
Kunstraum Alexander Bürkle Collection, Freiburg, Germany
Kreditanstalt Für Wiederaufbau, Frankfurt, Germany
La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art, La Jolla, California
Lembach Haus, Munich, Germany
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, California
Louisiana Museum, Humlebaek, Denmark
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York
Miami/Dade College Art Gallery, Miami, Florida
Microsoft Collection, Seattle, Washington
Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Mondstudio Collection, Germany
Musée d’art et d’histoire Neuchâtel, Switzerland
Museo d’ Arte Moderna Contemporanea di Trento e Rovereto, Italy
Museum der Schönen Kunst, Budapest, Hungary
Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, California
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas
Museum of Fine Arts of New Mexico, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Museum of Modern Art, New York, New York
Museum of Modern Art, Otterndorf, Germany
Museum Moderner Kunst des Lendkreises Cuxhaven, Otterndorf, Germany
Museum fur Konkrete Kunst, Ingolstadt, Germany
Newport Harbor Art Museum, Newport Beach, California
Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, Utah State University, Logan, Utah
The Panza di Biumo Collection, Varese, Italy
Rossi/Mattioli Collection, Milan, Italy
Samlung Rosskoph, Kunstraum Alexander Bürkle, Freiburg, Germany
San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art, La Jolla, California
Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara, California
Stadtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich, Germany
Sweet Briar College Galleries, Sweet Briar, Vermont
Tel Aviv Museum, Tel Aviv, Israel
The University of Arizona Museum of Art, Tucson, Arizona
Utah Museum of Art, Salt Lake City, Utah
Van Der Heyht Museum, Wuppertal, Germany
Weatherspoon Art Museum, Greensborough, North Carolina