Max Hayslette was born in 1929 in Rupert, West Virginia (WV). He was raised by his mother, Lolita, and father, Ellis, who worked for the Meadow River Lumber Company in Rainelle, WV. He graduated from the American Academy of Art in Chicago in 1951. He then studied briefly with Egon Weiner and Alexander Archipenko at the Art Institute of Chicago, which had a profound impact on his art. He earned an internship with Kenneth Olson, and remained on staff for ten years. In early 1962, he relocated to Seattle, Washington (WA), and was a principal at the Berg, Hayslette, Dupar design firm.

Following art school much of Hayslette's work was in the field of industrial design. He completed a variety of projects, including work with Herbert Bayer on the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia in the late 1950s, the design of four pavilions for World's Fairs from 1962 to 1974, and work with New York design firm Walter Dorwin Teague on a project for the Boeing Company's Design and Developmental Center in Seattle, WA. In 1973, Hayslette founded Olympus Atelier and Olympus Graphics, Inc., a silk screen printing business, on Bainbridge Island, WA.

In the late 2000s, Hayslette was asked by the Rainelle Area Planning Commission to help the town's historical restoration efforts. His resulting painting of the Meadow River Lumber Company mill, donated to the Planning Commission for auction and print sales, helped raise money for the restoration project.

Hayslette is known for his abstract, modernist works as well as his landscapes. He frequently cites the influence of and draws inspiration from Asian masters. He has traveled extensively in Europe to paint, particularly in southern France and northern Italy. Through his longtime partnership with Larry Winn, Hayslette's works have been available through Winn Devon Art Group, and are currently available through Grand Image.