Heavily involved in the New York avant-garde scene of the 1940s and ’50s, Michael Goldberg was a part of the first comprehensive Abstract Expressionism exhibition called the “Ninth Street Show” (1951). Over his long and varied career, Goldberg produced gestural, expressionistic canvases, monochromatic works, minimalist paintings, patterned compositions, collage, and mixed-media works. He is most recognized for his action paintings, with vigorous sweeping gestures inspired by improvisational jazz music, and his unorthodox use of studio objects to paint such as the paintbrush handle.