Roy Ahlgren was a self-taught artist from Erie, Pennsylvania. Ahlgren was best known for his work in op art and hard-edge technique. Much of his work was mathematically and precisely constructed in pigment and serigraphy (a printing technique also known as screen-printing, using a stencil and screen to apply ink to a surface). His compositions are often symbolic while occasionally depicting elements such as landscapes and landforms. The paintings’ abstract geometric compositions depict motion and volume using color and line.

After earning a degree in education, Ahlgren became an Assistant Professor in Printmaking at PennWest Edinboro (formerly Edinboro University of Pennsylvania) and then an art teacher at Tech Memorial High School, from which he graduated. Ahlgren served in the U.S. Navy in World War II. He retired from teaching in 1990 to paint full-time. His work is in over 100 permanent collections across many countries including Poland, Japan, Norway, Germany, Sweden, and throughout the United States. Two books of Ahlgren’s artwork have been published.