 Captivated by Germanic art, he began dabbling in art in his spare time while learning how to decorate furniture in antique styles.He became foreman of the furniture company's decorating department.From 1925 to 1928 he attended the Cooper Union School of the Arts, where he befriended mentor Arshile Gorky and Willem de Kooning—sharing Gorky's studio from 1928 to 1937.