Tom Wesselmann
Tom Wesselmann (1931 - 2004) was one of the leading American Pop artists of the 1960s. He was best known for his collages, sculptures, and screenprints that explored still life,...
Tom Wesselmann (1931 - 2004) was one of the leading American Pop artists of the 1960s. He was best known for his collages, sculptures, and screenprints that explored still life, landscape, and classical portrayals of the nude female figure. His earliest works were small collages and assemblages, utilizing an array of found objects such as discarded paper, utensils, and even an old television. In 1961, his first large-scale series, Great American Nude earned him fame in the art world. His segmentation of the classical female nude to her mouth, nipples, and genitalia consequently reintroduced the ideal female form to art during the consumer age. Wesselmann's main interest with his work was not to draw attention to the subject, but to make figurative art as exciting as abstract art. He achieved this with the use of vivid and pure colors and the impersonal, advertisement-like motifs characteristic of the Pop Art movement. Wesselmann’s work resides in collections worldwide including The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tate Gallery in London, the Art Institute of Chicago and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.