Tom
Wesselmann

Tom Wesselmann (eng. Tom Wesselmann; February 23, 1931, Cincinnati, USA – 17 December 2004, new York, USA) is an American artist, Illustrator, sculptor and collagist, one of the prominent representatives of pop art. About his childhood Wesselmann told almost nothing, mentioning only that they were not interested in art and was "terribly mediocre". In University I studied psychology, but the training had to be suspended due to conscription. During his service in the Korean war, Wesselmann began drawing and decided to become a cartoonist. After the war he graduated from the University, parallel to drawing comics for both male and comic magazines. In 1956 the artist moved to new York, where he meets creativity Willem de Kooningand decides to paint. In 1963, married his girlfriend Claire Celli, who posed for him for many paintings and influenced his work throughout his life. Since the mid-60s Wesselmann many years writes two series of works: "still life" and "Great American Nude". In the last years of his life continues to write nudity, parallel to creating abstract paintings.

Features artist Tom Wesselman: all his work has had a major impact famous a series of "Women"Willem de Kooning. However, the style in which he writes his women the Diseases is very different from the abstract style of his mastermind. The women at the same time as "real", but at the same time completely impersonal. Wesselmann focuses the viewer's attention only on the details – lips, teeth, hair and nipples – turning them into a kind of fetish.

Famous paintings of Tom Wesselman: "Great American Nude No. 21", "still life No. 35", "Smoker 1""Monica sitting with Mondrian".

Author: Eugene Sidelnikov