#tomwesselman

Untitled, Tom Wesselman, 1965, Brooklyn Museum: Contemporary Art

Size: 23 7/8 x 29 3/4 in. (60.6 x 75.6 cm) Medium: Serigraph on paper

Bedroom Face, Tom Wesselman, 1977, Brooklyn Museum: Contemporary Art

Size: sheet: 22 1/4 x 29 3/4 in. (56.5 x 75.6 cm) image: 16 5/8 x 23 3/4 in. (42.2 x 60.3 cm) Medium: Aquatint and spit bite on paper

Tom Wesselmann

American Pop artist Tom Wesselmann was born on this day in 1931. Starting out as a cartoon artist for journals and magazines in his early life, Wesselmann eventually studied at the Cooper Union in New York where his focus shifted to fine art, graduating in 1959.

Wesselmann went on to be one of the leading Pop artist of the 60s working in painting, collage, sculpture and assemblage, incorporating everyday objects into his work. He is probably best known for his Great American Nude series which feature flat forms and intense colours.

Throughout his career Wesselmann explored different ideas and mediums. In the seventies, the artist created the Standing Still Life series, large free standing canvases showcasing small objects on a grand scale. In the 80s he penned an autobiography under the pseudonym Slim Stealingworth. It was also around this time that Wesselmann created his first metal sculptures, utilising laser cutting techniques which allowed him to make a faithful translation of his drawings in metal.

In his later years he made a return to his more traditional work with oil paintings of the female form titled Sunset Nudes.