Max Kozloff, a distinguished art critic, educator, and photographer, has passed away at the age of 91. His death occurred on Sunday, April 6, at his residence in New York City, following a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s disease. The news was shared by his wife, artist Joyce Kozloff, through an Instagram post.
Kozloff was a pivotal figure in 20th-century art criticism, known for his political analysis of postwar art through his influential essay, “American Painting During the Cold War” (1973). He argued that Abstract Expressionism was deeply intertwined with American global dominance. Recognized with numerous accolades, his writings were enriched by his experiences in photography and painting. He authored over a dozen books, including “New York Over the Top” (2013), showcasing his own artistic work. Kozloff was a columnist and editor at the Nation and Artforum, and taught extensively, most notably at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in Manhattan.
Born in Chicago in 1933, Kozloff was the youngest of four sons in a Jewish family of Eastern European descent. His father, a Ukrainian immigrant, often took him to the Art Institute of Chicago, which he described as a “sanctuary of inspirations.” This early exposure to art fostered his lifelong passion. Charles Traub, chair of SVA’s graduate photography program, remarked that it was there Kozloff learned to truly observe.
At 16, Kozloff began his studies at the University of Chicago, earning a bachelor’s degree in art history by 1953. He made his first attempt at art criticism during college, writing about sculptor Richard Hunt, although the piece was not published. After completing his master’s degree in art history in 1958, he continued his education at New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts. He met Joyce, his life partner, in 1967 while studying at Columbia University, and they married after two months. The couple had one son, Nikolas, born in 1969.
Kozloff’s career in art criticism took off in the 1960s when he joined the Nation as a columnist. By 1963, he was contributing to Artforum, where he became an influential voice. He served as the magazine’s executive editor from 1975, advocating for less commercialism and more critical discourse. During the 1970s, Kozloff shifted his focus to photography, drawn to its emotional and communicative power. He published “Photography and Fascination” (1979) and later joined SVA’s faculty to teach photography. Known for his vibrant color photographs, Kozloff’s work was exhibited widely, with one of his final shows in 2015 featuring intimate portraits of friends, highlighting his love for color as a reflection of human experience.
