Born in 1935 at Cincinnati, Ohio, studied at the University of Cincinnati and at the Boston School of Fine and Applied Arts in Boston, Massachusetts from 1953 to 1957. Moved to New York in 1959. Staged his first "Happenings" with Claes Oldenburg and Allan Kaprow at the Judson Gallery, New York. Had his first one-man exhibition at the Reuben Gallery, New York.

Between 1960 and 1965 had various guest professorships, among others at Yale University, New Haven and Oberlin College, Ohio.

Since 1967 Dine has taught at the College of Architecture, Cornell University, NewYork. He lives in New York and London. In his paintings, drawings, sculptures, graphics, collages and assemblages he combined different techniques with handwritten texts and words and set real everyday objects against undefined backgrounds. The objects were both ordinary and individual, poetic and ironic and reflected his own views and feelings on life.