Haim Steinbach (American, b.1944) is a sculptor and installation artist who was born in Rehovot, Israel. He became an American citizen in 1962, after relocating to New York, NY, in 1957 with his family. Steinbach began attending The Pratt Institute in Brooklyn in 1962, and received his BFA in 1968. He went on to complete his graduate studies at Yale University, where he received his MFA in 1973. Steinbach also spent some time studying at the Université d'Aix in Marseille, France, from 1965 to 1966.
Early in his career, he was influenced by painter
Paul Cézanne's use of color and the Surrealism movement. When his
Display #7 installation was exhibited at Artists Space in New York in 1979, he gained major recognition in the art world.
Display #7 consisted of a wall covered with pieces of wallpaper, along with a shelf that displayed objects Steinbach had found. Objects arranged on a shelf became a trademark of his artwork.
In the 1970s and early 1980s, Steinbach was actively involved in the art scene that existed in New York City's East Village. It was during this time that his work was featured in several group exhibitions with Fashion Moda and Group Material. Much of his earlier shelf artwork included materials he had found at flea markets or borrowed from family and friends displayed on handmade shelves. In 1983, he began to incorporate standardized shelves into his pieces. Steinbach also started to include store-bought items as a part of his displays. In the 1990s, he began to broaden his scope of artistic creativity by creating pieces that consisted of items attached directly to walls. Cabinets, drawers, and containers began to surface in his artwork during this time as well. His work has been featured in many one-person and international shows, including exhibitions at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, Belgium, in 1991, the Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art in Rotterdam, Holland, in 1992, and the Guggenheim Museum in New York in 1993. The artist currently lives and works in New York.