Born in the Bronx, he studied at the New York Studio School and earned his BA and MFA degrees from Queens College, CUNY. He has taught at Cooper Union and the NY Studio School and currently teaches at Queens College. He has also been a panelist and visiting artist for MFA painting programs at Yale, Columbia, Boston University, American University, Hunter College, and others. A recipient of many awards, he has received grants from the Edward F. Albee Foundation, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts.