John Wesley (artist)
Encyclopedia
John Wesley was born in Los Angeles
, California, on November 25, 1928. He is a pop artist
.
After holding a series of odd jobs, he began painting at the age of 22. His first exhibition consisted mostly of large-format acrylic paintings of imaginary seals and stamps; he would retain the flatness and limited color range of these works, but would move into the depiction of bodies and cartoon characters, the latter of which led him to be grouped with Pop Art
as the 1960s progressed.
The spareness of his technique often seems more akin to the school known as Minimalism
, however, and indeed his closest personal associations were with artists such as Dan Flavin
and Donald Judd
, the latter of whom wrote a praising essay on Wesley's early work and later set aside a space for him at his complex in Marfa, Texas
. Wesley himself considers his work to be aligned with Surrealism
, and many of his paintings since the 1960s have taken this dimension yet further, while retaining an extremely limited range of colors and a sign-like flatness.
Several retrospectives of his work have been held, the most recent at the P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center in 2000. He was invited to design the cover for the catalogue of the 2006 Armory Show
, and his recent paintings were given a substantial amount of space at the Fredericks and Freiser Gallery booth, which represents him. Replicas of his paintings were also featured in the window of the Hermès
boutique on Madison Avenue for the duration of the show.
Until her death in 2003, the playwright and painter Patricia Broderick
was his partner for the last six years of her life.
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California, on November 25, 1928. He is a pop artist
Pop art
Pop art is an art movement that emerged in the mid 1950s in Britain and in the late 1950s in the United States. Pop art challenged tradition by asserting that an artist's use of the mass-produced visual commodities of popular culture is contiguous with the perspective of fine art...
.
After holding a series of odd jobs, he began painting at the age of 22. His first exhibition consisted mostly of large-format acrylic paintings of imaginary seals and stamps; he would retain the flatness and limited color range of these works, but would move into the depiction of bodies and cartoon characters, the latter of which led him to be grouped with Pop Art
Pop art
Pop art is an art movement that emerged in the mid 1950s in Britain and in the late 1950s in the United States. Pop art challenged tradition by asserting that an artist's use of the mass-produced visual commodities of popular culture is contiguous with the perspective of fine art...
as the 1960s progressed.
The spareness of his technique often seems more akin to the school known as Minimalism
Minimalism
Minimalism describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music, where the work is set out to expose the essence, essentials or identity of a subject through eliminating all non-essential forms, features or concepts...
, however, and indeed his closest personal associations were with artists such as Dan Flavin
Dan Flavin
Dan Flavin was an American minimalist artist famous for creating sculptural objects and installations from commercially available fluorescent light fixtures.-Early life and career:...
and Donald Judd
Donald Judd
Donald Clarence Judd was an American artist associated with minimalism . In his work, Judd sought autonomy and clarity for the constructed object and the space created by it, ultimately achieving a rigorously democratic presentation without compositional hierarchy...
, the latter of whom wrote a praising essay on Wesley's early work and later set aside a space for him at his complex in Marfa, Texas
Marfa, Texas
Marfa is a town in the high desert of far West Texas in the Southwestern United States. Located between the Davis Mountains and Big Bend National Park, it is also the county seat of Presidio County. The population was 1,981 at the 2010 census....
. Wesley himself considers his work to be aligned with Surrealism
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
, and many of his paintings since the 1960s have taken this dimension yet further, while retaining an extremely limited range of colors and a sign-like flatness.
Several retrospectives of his work have been held, the most recent at the P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center in 2000. He was invited to design the cover for the catalogue of the 2006 Armory Show
Armory Show
Many exhibitions have been held in the vast spaces of U.S. National Guard armories, but the Armory Show refers to the 1913 International Exhibition of Modern Art that was organized by the Association of American Painters and Sculptors...
, and his recent paintings were given a substantial amount of space at the Fredericks and Freiser Gallery booth, which represents him. Replicas of his paintings were also featured in the window of the Hermès
Hermès
Hermès International S.A., or simply Hermès is a French high fashion house established in 1837, today specializing in leather, lifestyle accessories, perfumery, luxury goods, and ready-to-wear...
boutique on Madison Avenue for the duration of the show.
Until her death in 2003, the playwright and painter Patricia Broderick
Patricia Broderick
Patricia Broderick was an American playwright and painter.Broderick was the mother of actor Matthew Broderick, and wife of actor James Broderick. She was born as Patricia Biow in New York City....
was his partner for the last six years of her life.
Sources
- Heiss, Alanna (2000). John Wesley: Paintings 1961–2000 (1st ed.). New York: Distributed Art Publishers. ISBN 0-9704428-1-5.