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| Great American Nude 47 by Tom Wesselmann |
This week's New York Times Style Magazine had an article
about the late artist Tom Wesselmann. Although it now seems like ancient
history, his candy-colored pop art renditions, often of the female nude, were
iconic back in the day. They were considered shocking and offensive to some
(particularly feminists who objected to what they considered to be the objectification
and commoditization of women). While there was certainly an erotic element to
them, the use of simple form and bright, California-sunshine type color made
them appear more wholesome than obscene.
And of course today, we see far more suggestive imagery used
in perfume/underwear magazine ads, internet advertising, and billboards.
The NYT story asks why someone like Wesselmann who was a key
artist in the pop-art movement seems to have lost his place in the sun. It's
interesting to remember when these works seemed so fresh and exciting, and yet
now they seem more like trivia or artifacts of a previous time. Yet Andy
Warhol's reputation has been maintained, and even grown exponentially long
after their demise. What are the changes in our society/culture that causes
this?
"The Most Famous
Pop Artist You Don’t Know" by Kevin Conley
You can read the article on the NYT website:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/22/t-magazine/art/tom-wesselmann-pop-artist-profile.html
Image: Tom
Wesselmann 1963, Great American Nude, 47
Medium: Synthetic polymer
paint with cut and pasted paper and fabric on wood panel
Dimensions 48 3/8 x 65
5/8" (122.9 x 166.7 cm)
Gift of Lita Hornick
Object number 215.1982
Copyright © Tom
Wesselmann/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY
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