Tom Wesselmann

Key facts

Lived

1931–2004, American

Movement

• Pop Art

Works held in

20 museums

Plan your visit to see Tom Wesselmann →

• What is Tom Wesselmann known for?+

  Tom Wesselmann is known for creating works in the early 1960s that combined nudes depicted in flat, clear colours with collage elements taken from brochures or posters. One example is his series of works, including Great American Nude No. 27, which juxtaposes an erotic nude image with cut-out images of milkshakes and ice-creams.
• What is Tom Wesselmann's most famous work?+

  Tom Wesselmann is associated with the Pop Art movement. He is best known for two series of works: the *Still Life* series (1962-1964) and the *Great American Nude* series (begun in 1961). Wesselmann's *Great American Nude* paintings often combine a nude figure, depicted in flat, clear colours, with collage elements taken from brochures or posters. *Great American Nude No. 27* (1962) presents an erotic image of a spread-legged nude, her features blank, juxtaposed with images of milkshakes and ice creams. The painting demonstrates sexual freedom and incorporates imagery from the consumer age. His *Still Life* works often incorporate brand-name foods and familiar products, such as Coca-Cola and Lipton Tea. *Still Life #33* (1963) is a large-scale work that depicts a submarine sandwich, a can of Budweiser, Pall Mall cigarettes, and an orange. Some pieces include actual objects attached to the canvas, such as a fluorescent light, a real faucet, and a cupboard.
• What should I know about Tom Wesselmann's prints?+

  Tom Wesselmann (1931-2004) is best known as a Pop artist, associated with James Rosenquist, Claes Oldenburg, and Andy Warhol. He worked across painting, collage, and sculpture; prints are another important aspect of his output. Wesselmann made prints throughout his career, often returning to favoured motifs. These include the "Great American Nude" series, first developed in his paintings of the early 1960s. The prints often rework the imagery of his paintings, sometimes in a more simplified form. His prints also share the same themes as his other work: an interest in consumer culture, advertising imagery, and the female nude. Screenprinting was a printmaking technique Wesselmann frequently employed, due to its capacity to produce flat areas of bold colour. He also made lithographs, etchings, and woodcuts. Some of Wesselmann's prints exist as editions of 100 or more, while others are far more scarce. His prints offer a more accessible way to acquire his work, compared to his paintings and sculptures, which command higher prices.
• What style or movement did Tom Wesselmann belong to?+

  Tom Wesselmann (born 1931) is associated with the Pop Art movement. His artistic career began after military service, when he took classes at the Art Academy of Cincinnati in 1954. He moved to New York in 1956 and befriended Jim Dine and Claes Oldenburg, who introduced him to the New York avant-garde. Wesselmann's early collages incorporated everyday objects. By the early 1960s, he was using images from advertising and consumer culture. His paintings often featured brand-name products like Coca-Cola and Lipton Tea. Some works included actual objects attached to the canvas, to heighten the realism. Wesselmann is known for his *Great American Nude* series, begun in 1961, and his *Still Life* series, from 1962 to 1964. These works often combine painted elements with collage, incorporating printed reproductions and real objects. His *Still Life #33* (1963) uses advertisements taken from subway stations and billboards. Wesselmann's work often explores themes of consumerism and the aesthetics of everyday American life.
• What techniques or materials did Tom Wesselmann use?+

  Tom Wesselmann, born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1931, employed varied techniques and materials in his Pop art creations. Initially, he explored collage, attaching everyday items to composition board to create interiors and still lifes. Wesselmann incorporated materials and images taken from advertising and consumer culture. His paintings from the early 1960s featured familiar products like Coca-Cola, Lipton Tea, and brand-name foods, alongside reproductions of works by artists such as Henri Matisse and Piet Mondrian. To achieve added realism, Wesselmann sometimes attached actual objects to his surfaces; for example, one work depicting a kitchen included a working fluorescent light, a real tap, and a cupboard with household goods. In the early 1960s, Wesselmann began to create large-scale works. The source material he used evolved from magazine cutouts to advertisements taken from subway stations, window displays, and billboards. From 1983, Wesselmann moved away from painting on canvas, and began constructing metal wall-pieces derived from felt-tip or ink drawings. He died in New York in 2004.
• What was Tom Wesselmann known for?+

  Tom Wesselmann (born 1931, Cincinnati; died 2004, New York) is associated with the Pop Art movement. He is known for his still lifes and his Great American Nude series, which began in 1961. Wesselmann's early work included collages, incorporating everyday objects and images from advertising and consumer culture. He often attached actual items to his canvases to heighten the sense of realism. An example is a 1962 kitchen scene with a working fluorescent light, a real tap, and a cupboard containing household products. His Great American Nude paintings often juxtapose a nude figure, with blanked-out features, alongside commercial imagery. *Great American Nude No. 53* (1964) incorporates a set of teeth and lips cut from a Royal Crown Cola advertisement. These works combine an interest in erotic symbols with the imagery of consumer society. From 1962 to 1964, Wesselmann created his Still Life series. *Still Life #45* (1962) uses mixed media, including a plastic turkey display, printed reproductions, and paint. In the 1980s, Wesselmann moved away from painting, constructing cut-out metal wall pieces based on his drawings.
• When did Tom Wesselmann live and work?+

  Tom Wesselmann (1931-2004) was an American artist associated with Pop Art. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Wesselmann initially studied psychology before turning to art. His career began in the 1950s, and he gained recognition in the 1960s. During this time, he participated in important Pop Art exhibitions. Wesselmann is best known for his series *Great American Nude*. These works often combine painting with collage elements. He incorporated everyday objects into his art, blurring the lines between different media. Throughout his career, Wesselmann explored themes of consumer culture and the human form. He worked primarily in painting, collage, and sculpture. Wesselmann's work is held in many major museum collections. He continued to produce art until his death in New York City.
• Where can I see Tom Wesselmann's work?+

  Tom Wesselmann's artworks have been featured in numerous exhibitions across the globe. In the earlier years, his pieces were displayed at venues such as the Bianchini Gallery in New York for *American Supermarket* (October-November 1964), the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels for *Pop Art, Nouveau Réalisme, Etc.* (February-March 1965), and the Galleria la Bertesca in Genoa for *American Pop Artists* (November-December 1967). More recently, Wesselmann's art has been seen at the Centro Cultural de Arte Contemporaneo in Mexico City for *Leo Castelli and His Artists* (June-October 1988), the Galerie Daniel Templon in Paris for *Hommage to Leo Castelli* (October-November 1987), and the La Galerie de Poche, also in Paris, for *Pop Art Americain: Les Cinq de New York* (February-March 1988). His works have also been part of collections at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Whitney Museum of American Art, among others.
• Where was Tom Wesselmann from?+

  Tom Wesselmann was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on 23 February 1931. Although he is associated with the New York art scene, he spent his early life and completed his undergraduate studies in Ohio. Wesselmann's initial studies at the University of Cincinnati were in psychology. His college career was interrupted by military service in the United States Army, where he studied aerial photography at Fort Riley, Kansas. It was during his military service that he began drawing cartoons. In 1954, Wesselmann began taking classes at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. Two years later, in 1956, he moved to New York and enrolled at Cooper Union to pursue his artistic interests. In New York, Wesselmann became friends with Jim Dine and Claes Oldenburg and was introduced to the New York avant-garde. Wesselmann died in New York in 2004.
• Who did Tom Wesselmann influence?+

  Tom Wesselmann's Pop art aesthetic had an impact on a number of artists who explored similar themes of consumer culture and the human form. While it is difficult to measure influence directly, several artists working in the later 20th century engaged with ideas that Wesselmann had explored in his work. These include Jeff Koons, known for his large-scale sculptures of everyday objects; and Takashi Murakami, whose colourful, cartoon-like imagery draws on Japanese pop culture. Lisa Yuskavage's paintings of female nudes also share some common ground with Wesselmann's depictions of the female form, though her approach is more explicitly concerned with issues of gender and representation. These artists developed their own distinctive styles, but Wesselmann's exploration of popular imagery and the objectification of the body provided a point of reference for their work. His impact can be seen in the continued interest in Pop art themes among contemporary artists.
• Who influenced Tom Wesselmann?+

  Tom Wesselmann's artistic development occurred in dialogue with several other artists and movements. He engaged with Abstract Expressionism early in his career; however, he is more closely associated with Pop art. Wesselmann's move towards Pop was influenced by artists like Robert Rauschenberg and Claes Oldenburg. These artists incorporated everyday objects and commercial imagery into their work. Wesselmann, similarly, began to use commonplace items in his pieces. He is known for his still lifes and Great American Nude series. These works often feature brand-name products and advertising imagery. Some critics have noted the influence of Henri Matisse on Wesselmann, particularly in his use of colour and form. The flattened perspective and simplified shapes in Matisse's paintings appear in Wesselmann's work, although within a Pop art context. Wesselmann also drew inspiration from the billboards and advertising that saturated American culture in the 1960s. His work often reflects the bold graphics and consumerism of the era.
• Who was Tom Wesselmann?+

  Tom Wesselmann (1931-2004) was an American artist associated with the Pop Art movement. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, he initially studied psychology before serving in the army as an aerial photography specialist. During his military service, he began creating cartoons and later pursued formal art training at the Art Academy of Cincinnati and Cooper Union in New York. Wesselmann's early work involved collages, incorporating everyday objects into schematic interiors and still lifes. He was drawn to commercial goods and gradually moved from abstraction to using materials and images from advertising and consumer culture. His paintings from the early 1960s featured familiar products such as Coca-Cola and Lipton Tea, alongside reproductions of works by artists such as Henri Matisse and Piet Mondrian. Wesselmann is well known for his *Great American Nude* series, begun in 1961, and his *Still Life* series from 1962-64. These works often combined painted elements with collage, using imagery from popular culture and advertising. From 1983, Wesselmann moved away from painting on canvas, instead constructing cut-out metal wall pieces based on felt-tip or ink drawings.