In Memoriam: Mary Heilmann (1940–2026)
The Museum mourns the loss of collection artist Mary Heilmann, one of the preeminent contemporary abstract painters. Heilmann combined the analytical geometries of Minimalism with the spontaneous ethos of the Beat Generation in her work, distinguishable by its often unorthodox and joyful approach to color and form.
Growing up in San Francisco and Los Angeles, Heilmann was influenced by 1960s counterculture, the free-speech movement, and the surf ethos. She completed a degree in literature before she studied ceramics at Berkeley. Only after moving to New York in 1968 did she begin to paint. While most artists at that time were experimenting with the concept of dematerialization and demanding that painting should avoid any references to experience outside the material presence of the work itself, Heilmann opted for painting, rebelling against the accepted rules.
Heilmann created compositions that evoke a variety of associations. While her work is non-representational and based on an elementary, geometrical vocabulary—circles, squares, grids and stripes with contours that are not clearly defined—there is always something slightly eccentric about them. In some paintings, amorphous forms appear to melt into each other like liquid wax. Splashes of color can be discerned, sharp edges bleed for no apparent reason, and the ductus of the brushstrokes is always perceptible. Heilmann’s casual painting technique conceals a frequently complex structure that only gradually reveals itself to the viewer.
At the Parrish Art Musuem, Heilmann will be part of the exhibition Abstract Expressionism: The East End, 1940 to Today (September 27, 2026–February 14, 2027), which examines how the Abstract Expressionist movement flourished on Long Island’s East End, highlighting this area as a hub of artistic innovation and cultural exchange, where artists continue to find inspiration in the region’s landscape and thriving arts community.
Heilmann was part of Affinities for Abstraction: Women Artists on Eastern Long Island, 1950-2020 (May 2–July 18, 2021), and participated in Artists Choose Parrish (Part I, April 16 – August 6, 2023), a yearlong exhibition series celebrating the Museum’s 125th anniversary and honoring the East End’s rich artistic legacy. Forty-one renowned artists with deep local roots selected works from the collection to be shown along with their own. Heilmann chose works by artist friends Ross Bleckner, Louisa Chase, Chuck Close, Eric Freeman, Stephen Mueller, Susan Rothenberg, and William King.
“What I love about our scene in the East End and the Parrish is the wonderful community,” she said. “It is local, friendly, and historical with the angels up in heaven like Jackson Pollack, Willem de Kooning, Lee Krasner, and Elaine de Kooning. I like it because of all the memories and the history, and it keeps growing. It’s really happening. And we can’t forget the ocean.”
Heilmann has had numerous solo exhibitions at institutions such as Whitechapel Gallery, London, United Kingdom (2016); Whitney Museum of American Art, New York NY (2015); Kunstmuseum Bonn, Bonn, Germany (2013); New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York NY (2008) and Orange County Museum of Art, Newport Beach CA (2007). Her Starry Night series was on view at Dia Beacon, Beacon NY (2023-2025), and Mary Heilmann: Long Line was at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York NY (2025-2026).
Her work is included in prominent international collections, such as those of the Museum of Modern Art, New York NY; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York NY; and Museum Ludwig, Cologne, Germany. Additionally, she exhibited at three Whitney Biennials (1972, 1989, 2008).
The artist received the Anonymous Was a Woman Foundation Award (2006) and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation. In 2022, Primary Information published a facsimile edition of her 1999 memoir-monograph, The All Night Movie. Heilmann was the subject of the 2024 documentary Waves, Roads & Hallucinations, directed by Matt Creed.
Our hearts go out to Heilmann’s extended family of friends.
Image: Mary Heilmann, Artists Choose Parrish, 2023. Photo: Jenny Gorman.
