Wave Park 5
2008
Monoprint on Hiromi handmade Kozo triple thick paper

Polly Apfelbaum (b. 1955, Abington, Pennsylvania) combines concepts from Abstract Expressionism, Minimalism and Pop art to create distinctive prints, ceramics and hand-dyed fabric floor pieces she refers to as “fallen paintings.”

Apfelbaum’s kaleidoscopic works feature lively color, geometric forms and nonrepresentational subjects, yet she rejected the aggressive masculinity of the Abstract Expressionist movement. Her work incorporates textiles, clay, found objects and other tactile elements traditionally associated with craft and domesticity.

Apfelbaum studied painting and printmaking at the Tyler School of Art in Pennsylvania, receiving a BFA in 1978. She moved to New York City, where she was inspired by installation art and worked to find a middle ground between sculpture and her two-dimensional training. She was influenced by artists including Helen Frankenthaler, Morris Louis and Jackson Pollock, but Apfelbaum’s style incorporates energy, playfulness and wit, as well as her love of popular culture and affirmative view of femininity.