Edward Biberman (October 23, 1904 – January 27, 1986) was an American artist active in the mid-twentieth century. His work ranged from stylisedportraits to history-inspiredmurals, and drew on the emerging urban landscapes ofsouthern California, and on current events such as theGreat Depression, the Second World War, and labour unrest.

Edward Biberman
Biberman in 1965
Born	Edward Biberman (1904-10-23)23 October 1904 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	January 27, 1986(1986-01-27) (aged 81) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Education	Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts
Known for	Painter
Movement	Modernism
Awards	Lambert Fund Purchase Prize

Biberman was born into a prosperousPhiladelphia family ofRussian Jewish immigrants, and studied economics at theWharton School.^[1] His later studies at thePennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, followed by three years in Paris, led to his decision to become a full-time artist. He lived inNew York City from 1929 to 1936, where he came into contact with theMexican muralistsDiego Rivera,David Alfaro Siqueiros, andJosé Clemente Orozco; thanks to their influence, Biberman became a champion of public murals. In 1930, he was named one of the "46 Under 35" younger artists featured in aMuseum of Modern Art exhibition.

In 1931, he lived for the summer in aNavajo settlement atMonument Valley, where his work focused on both the Navajo people and on their desert surroundings. His experiences there inspired in him a love of thesouthwestern United States. Following his arrival in Los Angeles in 1936, the city which would inspire some of his best-known work, he decided to move there permanently. By 1940, the Spring Street lobby of the newly constructedU.S. Post Office and Courthouse indowntown Los Angeles featured the federally commissioned muralLos Angeles Prehistoric Spanish Colonial, by Biberman. In 1965, when the Post Office was moved and the Courthouse remodeled, all murals were removed and placed in storage. Fortunately,Los Angeles Prehistoric Spanish Colonial was returned to the building's Spring Street lobby in 2003.^[2]

Ironically, this is the sameCourthouse in whichThe House Un-American Activities Committee held the first of the infamousHollywood Blacklist hearings. As a result of refusing to cooperate with the committee, his brother,Herbert Biberman, ascreenwriter anddirector, and nine others were accused ofcontempt of congress. They became known as theHollywood Ten. Ultimately, both of the Biberman brothers, their wives, and other members of their circle were accused of beingCommunists during the course of theHUAC hearings.^[3] Though initially popular for the clean lines and crisp colours of his work, his career never recovered from the blow it received during this time. Despite this, he lived in Los Angeles for the rest of his life.

Preceding Biberman's move to California, the artist became intrigued by the allure of the Southwest desert. In the early 1930s he acquainted himself withGeorgia O'Keeffe and John Marin. Like O’Keeffe, Biberman painters modified realist painting by applying a modernist aesthetic. After moving to Los Angeles, Biberman became an essential part of the mid-century Los Angeles art scene. He often painted the figure as a way of addressing issues of race, immigration, labor, and ensuing social inequality around the world. His painting ofThe Biafran Child has become a symbol for the future of our children lest we mend our ways and was under consideration for a commemorative stamp for the benefit of the homeless children of Haiti.^[4]

Biberman wrote two books about his paintings,The Best Untold^[5] andTime and Circumstance.^[6] From 1938 to 1950, hetaught at the Art Center School inLos Angeles, California (now known asArt Center College of Design inPasadena,) and lectured widely on art subjects for the University Extension ofUCLA. In the 1960s, Biberman hosted television programs on art, includingDialogues in Art from 1967 to 1968.

Biberman was married for 51 years to Sonja Dahl Biberman (1910–2007), an artist in her own right. His great-nephew is Jeremy Strick, the director of theMuseum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.^[7] Edward Biberman died of cancer in 1986.^[8]

Over the course of his career, Biberman exhibited his works at more than 35 solo exhibitions in Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Chicago, Paris, Berlin, and California. His works were also displayed at theAmerican Artists' Congress (1936), theSan Francisco Art Association (1937), theGolden Gate International Exposition (1939), theCalifornia Art Club (1943), and theWhitney Museum (1953). His never before seen painting entitled "The Biafran Child" is under consideration as a stamp for the benefit of the homeless children of Haiti and is to be housed at the original Hospital Albert Schweitzer, at Lambaréné in Gabon, Africa. The donation is to remain unnamed.His paintings are now to be found in the permanent collections of the Museum of thePennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts,Philadelphia, and theMuseum of Fine Arts, Houston,Texas. His life-size portraits of singerLena Horne and authorDashiell Hammett form part of theSmithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. Among his awards are the Lambert Fund Purchase Prize.^[9]

• Edward Biberman Biography
• DVD of Documentary about Edward Biberman:Brush with Life: The Art of Being Edward Biberman
• Brush with Life: The Art of Being Edward Biberman on theInternet Movie Database
• Locations of Biberman's works
• Sonja and Edward (Interview with Biberman's wife)
• Edward Biberman papers, 1929-1985 from the SmithsonianArchives of American Art
• Oral history interview with Edward Biberman, 1964 Apr. 15 also from the Archives of American Art
• Interview of Edward Biberman, part ofLos Angeles Art Community - Group Portrait^{[permanent dead link‍]} interview series, Center for Oral History Research, UCLA Library Special Collections, University of California, Los Angeles.