Michael Loew

MICHAEL LOEW (1907 - 1985): Michael Loew was an American painter, muralist, and educator associated with Abstract Expressionism and the New York School. Born in New York City in 1907, he studied at the National Academy of Design and the Art Students League of New York, where he worked with artists including Thomas Hart Benton. During the 1930s and 1940s, Loew worked as a muralist and participated in the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project, creating public works that reflected the social concerns of the period. His artistic style evolved from Social Realism toward abstraction, incorporating bold forms, vibrant color, and expressive brushwork. Loew was also deeply influenced by his experiences during World War II, when he served in the U.S. Army Air Forces as a camouflage artist and aerial reconnaissance artist. After the war, he became increasingly involved with the New York School and developed an abstract vocabulary influenced by Cubism, Surrealism, and Abstract Expressionism. Loew taught at the Pratt Institute, the Art Students League, and other institutions and exhibited widely throughout the United States and Europe. His work is held in numerous museum collections, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. He died in New York in 1985.