[1] Glarner introduced a diagonal into the strict horizontal and vertical geometric aesthetic of Mondrian, creating new, yet equally systematic principles of composition that he termed "relational painting."
Glarner's additions and alterations in structure and color to the Mondrian style gave his works a vitality and spatial dimensions.
[2] A mural by Glarner is included in The Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza Art Collection in Albany, New York.
[3] Although Glarner was Swiss, born in Zurich, and kept close ties to his home country, he lived most of his life as an expatriate.
Glarner emigrated to the United States in 1936, living and working first in Manhattan and later at a studio and residence on Long Island.