Born in Marshalltown, Iowa, Thor Rinden moved to New York to attend Hunter College, where he quickly found inspiration in and a connection to the art scene of the 1960s and 70s. He fashioned a rigorous practice, first with the language of abstraction and later with figuration. Throughout his career, Rinden came up with novel approaches to challenge the sanctity of the flat, rectangular picture plane and to assert the physicality of painting, such as weaving strips of canvas or using circular and diamond-shaped canvases. Although he never found commercial success in his lifetime, Rinden’s beautiful and innovative paintings warrant the attention of a new generation.