He was an Abstract Expressionist painter from the second-generation, he is known for his expressive and sometimes calligraphic brushwork, and his geometric compositions.
[1] His work caused a revolution in abstract painting that secured New York City's position as the art capital of the world during the post-World War II period.
[3][4] He went on to serve in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II (1943–1946), where he spent 18 months in Tampa, and a year in India.
[6] Considered a member of the second generation of Abstract Expressionists, along with Giorgio Cavallon, Briggs left California for New York in 1953 where he began exhibiting at the Stable Gallery.
[7][8] He taught painting and sculpture at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn from 1961[1] until the time of his death at age 61, and is survived by his wife Anne Arnold, who is also an artist.