Tom Wesselmann

Cincinnati Art Galleries

Acquired from the above in 1999 by the present owner

“Painting, sex and humor are the most important things in my life.” – Tom Wesselmann, 1984

Tom Wesselmann is recognized for one of his distinctive contributions to Pop Art. Initially, Wesselmann worked as a cartoonist during his college years in the Art Academy of Cincinnati. 

 Eventually, he attended Cooper Union and ventured into collage, influenced by the pervasive commercialization of culture much like other Pop Artists. He was confronted with violent abstractions called Abstract-Expressionism at the time. He didn’t like the principles taught at school in favor of a more traditionalist notion of art centered around the nude, still life, and landscape. With these themes in mind, the artist began creating collages and assemblages. 

Later on, Wesselmann was introduced to Roy Lichstenstein and James Rosenquist. It was during this period that the ethos of Pop art was popular. Yet unlike other artists like Andy Warhol, Wesselmann never intended to criticize consumerism but incorporated the oversized, vibrant imagery into his oeuvre. 

Wesselmann was particularly inspired by the energy presented in Willem de Kooning’s works. However, he felt compelled to chart his own course while channeling the same vivacity that characterized de Kooning’s artistry. His breakthrough series the Great American Nude produced in the 1960s featured American patriotic colors and his sitters, Claire, Monica, and Vivienne. 

 He continually focused on nudity as his subject matter, which solidified his distinctive place in Pop Art. In many senses, Wesselmann’s achievements are comparable to those of the remarkable artist Matisse, from his utilization of radiant primary colors to his foray into employing new mediums even in his later years at the end of his career. As seen in the present work, Monica Reclining on Blanket and Pillow ( Gray), the artist began experimenting with a new artistic approach in the early 1980s, laser-cut steel paintings. Steelcuts explores Wesselmann’s pioneering use of industrial technologies to create the new medium of laser-cut wall sculpture. Much like Matisse introduced cut-outs into his oeuvre, Wesselmann mastered this new method and brought his ephemeral sketches to a stronger, more permanent condition.The artwork showcases one of his frequent models and assistants, Monica Serra, who is recognizable for her black bob-length hair and red lips. The artist pared down his subjects to the most basic element, their lines, and laser-cut them from steel. In this steel cut work, Wesselmann distills his subject down to mere lines, yet manages to achieve a three-dimensional effect that literally pop off the wall.