Nancy Haynes, born in 1947, Connecticut, lives and works in New York and Colorado. She arrived in New York City in the late 1960s, at a time when Abstract Expressionism was still dominant, and emerging movements such as Minimalism and Conceptual Art were beginning to take shape. Influenced by older artists like Ad Reinhardt, Agnes Martin, and On Kawara, Haynes developed a distinct abstract style focused on the exploration of light as both a conceptual and material force. Literature plays a central role in her practice, informing the conceptual depth and metaphysical exploration in her work. Her work delves into the subtle interplay between light and darkness, presence and absence, often using minimalist compositions to challenge perception and explore the metaphysical qualities of light in space. Over the years, Haynes' practice has evolved through painting, drawing, and sculpture, emphasizing the role of light in shaping form and abstraction.
Nancy Haynes is included in major American and European museums and private collections. The list is extensive and includes paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Brooklyn Museum in New York, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Bonnefantenmuseum in Maastricht, the Gemeentemuseum in Den Haag, and others. Works on paper are, to name just a few, at the collection of the MoMA and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, at the Harvard Art Museum in Cambridge, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington.
