Al Held, American, 1928 to 2005, an acrylic on canvas painting Centauri IV depicting a brightly-colored and hard-edged abstract geometric composition, 1990. Signed and dated verso. Features an Andre Emmerich Gallery Inc. paper label attached to the backside. New York Al Held was an American Abstract expressionist painter. He was particularly well known for his large scale Hard-edge paintings. As an artist, multiple stylistic changes occurred throughout his career, however, none of these occurred at the same time as any popular emerging style or acted against a particular art form. In the 1950s his style reflected the abstract expressionist tone and then transitioned to a geometric style in the 1960s. During the 1980s, there was a shift into painting that emphasized bright geometric space thats deepness reflected infinity. From 1963 to 1980 he was a professor of art at Yale University. Post-War And Contemporary Paintings, American Fine Art And Wall Decor Collectibles.