Marden, typically considered a Minimalist artist, is often characterized by a preoccupation with rectangular forms and recurring palette.

In the early 1960s, he experimented with works in charcoal and graphite. In 1966, the same year as his first solo exhibition at New York’s Bykert Gallery, he was hired to work as Robert Rauschenberg’s assistant.

His most famous works include recent pieces, like the 2000 series The Propitious Garden of Plane Image, two of which are larger than 24-feet. Less recent, though equally acclaimed, works feature works from the Cold Mountain series which have a notable Japanese-calligraphy influence.

In 1975, New York’s Guggenheim featured a retrospective of his work. He became a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1988. In 2000, he was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts from Brown University.