Tom Wesselmann

Overview
Tom Wesselmann

Tom Wesselmann was one of the leading American Pop artists of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, as he rejected Abstract Expressionism in favour of the classical representations of the nude, still life, and landscape. He created collages and assemblages that incorporated everyday objects and advertising ephemera in an effort to make images as powerful as the Abstract Expressionism he admired. He is perhaps best known for his Great American Nude series, with their fat forms and intense colours. In the 1970s, Wesselmann continued to explore the ideas and media which had preoccupied him during the 1960s. In 1980, using the pseudonym Slim Stealingworth, he wrote an autobiography documenting the evolution of his artistic work. He continued exploring shaped canvases and began creating his first works in metal. He instigated the development of a laser-cutting application, which would allow him to make a faithful translation of his drawings in this new medium. The 1990s and 2000s saw the artist expanding on these themes to create abstract three-dimensional images that he described as 'going back to what I had desperately been aiming for in 1959'. In his final years, he returned to the female form in his Sunset Nudes series of oil paintings on canvas, whose bold compositions, abstract imagery, and sanguine moods often recall the odalisques of Henri Matisse.

Biography
Tom Wesselmann

1931
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, February 23rd.

1949
Attends Hiram College, Ohio.

1951
Attends the university of Cincinnati, Ohio to gain a BA in Psychology.

1952
Drafted into the US army to take part in Korean War and starts sketching cartoons.

1954
Attends the Art Academy of Cincinnati. His cartoons are printed in 1000 Jokes, True and The New Yorker.

1956
Moves to New York with his first wife Dot Irisis. Studies under Nicolas Marsicano at the Cooper Union School of Art and Architecture, New York. A powerful influence for him was Willem de Kooning.

1957
Leo Castelli Gallery, New York opens. Wesselmann meets Claire Selley, a university student who goes on to become his model and wife.                                

1959
Turns to experimenting with small, abstract collages. He was a painter, sculptor and printmaker. He had planned to become a cartoonist until his final year at the Cooper Union. His first group show at the Judson Gallery.

1960
Changes to painting objects and landscapes. Starts teaching at a school in Brooklyn.

1961
First one-man exhibition at the Tanager Gallery, New York. He made small collages of torn paper and found materials in his Little Great American Nudes of 1961-2, which culminated in large, aggressive compositions such as Great American Nude //3 (1961). These and his giant still-lifes composed of common household objects bought him fame and notoriety as a founder of American Pop Art. His Great American Nudes remain his best-known work.

1962
Participated in the exhibition "The Figure" at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Participates in “New Realists” with some reservation, at the Sidney Janis Gallery, New York. Begins working on his still lifes, keeping use of collage and adding in real objects.

1963
Marries Claire Selley. Included in Pop Goes the East at the Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston. 

1965
Young America 1965 exhibition at the Whitney Museum, New York.  

1967 
He was represented at the São Paulo Biennale, and at the documenta "4" and "6", Kassel, in 1968 and 1977 respectively. His significant involvement with the Pop Art movement was acknowledged with his inclusion, in 1974 in the exhibition "American Pop Art", at the Whitney Museum, New York.

1970
His 1970’s era series known as Smokers focused on the female nude with enormous cut out details of red lips, manicured fingernails and cigarettes. He developed a reputation for favouring more of a commercial look, removing any sign of the painter’s hand. 

1980
He began work in aluminium and enamel, adapting the clear lines of his earlier paintings. He writes an autobiography Tom Wesselmann under the pseudonym Slim Stealingworth. His son Lane was born. 

1983
Makes his first work in metal, leading to a series in steel and aluminium.

1993/94
An important retrospective of his work toured Japan beginning at the museum of Contemporary Art, Sapporo.

2004
December 20h Tom Wesselmann died of heart disease. At the time of his death he was working on nudes in the Abstract Expressionist style. Survived by Claire, his daughter, Kate and Jenny and his son, Lane. 

Bibliography
Tom Wesselmann

SOLO SHOWS

1961   

Tanager Gallery, New York

1962   

Green Gallery, New York

1964   

Green Gallery, New York

1965   

Green Gallery, New York

1966   

Sidney Janis Gallery, New York

1967   

Galerie Ileana Sonnabend, Paris          

Galerie Gian Enzo Sperone, Torino 

1968   

Dayton's Gallery 12, Minneapolis

Sidney Janis Gallery, New York

1970   

Sidney Janis Gallery, New York 

1971   

Jack Glenn Gallery, Corona Del Mar, California

1972   

Sidney Janis Gallery, New York

Galerie Aronowitsch, Sweden 

1973   

Multiples Inc., New York

1974   

Sidney Janis Gallery, New York

Art Galleries, California State University, Long Beach

Galerie des 4 Mouvements, Paris 

1976   

Sidney Janis Gallery, New York

1978   

Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston

1979  

Sidney Janis Gallery, New York

F.I.A.C. Grand Palais, Paris

Ehrlich Gallery, New York

Serge de Bloe, Brussels, Belgium

Hokin Gallery, Miami, Florida

1980   

Sidney Janis Gallery, New York

1981   

Hokin Gallery, Miami, Florida          

Hokin Gallery, Chicago 

1982   

Sidney Janis Gallery, New York

Carl Solway, Cincinnati, Ohio

Margo Leavin Gallery, Los Angeles, California

1983   

Sidney Janis Gallery, New York

Sander Gallery, New York

Delahunty Gallery, Dallas, Texas

1984   

Galerie Esperanza, Montreal, Canada

Modernism Gallery, San Francisco, California

McIntosh/Drysdale Gallery, Houston, Texas

1985   

Hokin Gallery, Miami, Florida

Jeffrey Hoffeld & Co, New York

Sidney Janis Gallery, New York 

1986   

Hokin Gallery, Miami, Florida

Galerie Quintana, Bogota, Colombia

Galerie Joachim Becker, Cannes

Galerie Denise René, Paris

Galerie Hans-Meyer, Düsseldorf

O.K. Harris, New York

Carl Solway Gallery, Cincinnati

1987   

Queens Museum, Flushing, NY

Galerie Esperanza, Montreal, Canada

Sidney Janis Gallery, New York

Galerie de France, Paris

The Cooper Union, New York

1988   

Galerie Tokoro, Tokyo

Sander Gallery Booth, Hamburg Art Fair

Mayor Art Gallery, London

Sidney Janis Gallery, New York

Stein Gallery, Chicago 

1989  

Blum Helman Gallery, Santa Monica, California

Waddington Galleries Ltd., London     

Maxwell Davidson Gallery, New York

Galerie Joachim Becker, Cannes 

1990  

John Stoller Gallery, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Blum Helman Gallery, Santa Monica, California

Gloria Luria Gallery, Bay Harbor Islands, Florida

Hokin Gallery, Palm Beach, Florida

Posner Gallery, Milwaukee

Sidney Janis Gallery, New York

O.K. Harris, New York

Studio Trisorio, Napoli

Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta

Galerie Esperanza, Montreal, Canada

Wilkey Fine Arts, medina

Galerie Joachim Becker, Cannes

Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado

1991  

The Contemporary Art Center, Cincinnati, Ohio

Edward Totah Gallery, London

Tasende Gallery, La Jolla, California

Galerie Tokoro, Tokyo 

1992

Riva Yares Gallery, Scottsdale

Sidney Janis Gallery, New York 

1993  

O.K. Harris/David Klein Gallery, Birmingham, MI

Fondation Veranneman, Kruishoutem, Belgium

Waßermann Galerie, Munich

Isetan Museum of Contemporary Art, Shiga, Japan

Waßermann Galerie, Munich

1994   

Cranbrook Academy of Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, MI

Kunsthalle, Tübingen

Palais des Beaux Arts, Brussels

Altes Museum, Berlin

Museum Villa Stuck, Munich

Kunsthal, Rotterdam, Netherlands

Historisches Museum der Pfalz, Speyer

Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain, Paris

Culturgest, Lisbon

Museé d'Art Moderne, Nice

Nikolaus Fischer Gallery, Frankfurt

Gana Art Gallery, Seoul, Korea

Didier Imbert Fine Art, Paris

Waßermann Galerie, Munich 

1995  

Sidney Janis Gallery, New York

Gallery Camino Real, Boca Raton, Florida

1996  

Sidney Janis Gallery, New York

Fred Hoffman, Santa Monica, California

Wetterling Teo Ltd., Singapore

Maxwell Davidson Gallery, New York

Sidney Janis Gallery, New York

Galerie Hans Meyer, Düsseldorf

Galerie Benden & Klimczac, Köln

1999  

Maxwell Davidson Gallery, New York

Gallery Camino Real, Boca Raton, Florida

2000   

Galerie Benden & Klimczac, Köln

Galerie Hans Meyer, Berlin

Galerie Benden & Klimczac, Viersen

Galerie Guy Pieters, Knokke-Heist, Belgien

Heland Wetterling Gallery, Stockholm

JGM Galerie, Paris

Helman Gallery, New York

Gallery Camino Real, Boca Raton, Florida

Galerie Benden & Klimczac, Köln

2001   

Pilsbury Peters Fine Art, Dallas

Danese Gallery, New York

Imago Gallery, Palm Desert, California 

2002   

Buschlen Mowatt Gallery, Vancouver, Canada

JGM Galerie, Paris

Imago Galleries, Palm Desert, California

Thomas Ammann Fine Arts, Basel

Galerie Benden & Klimczac, Viersen

Heland Wetterling Gallery, Stockholm

2003   

Gallery Camino Real, Boca Raton, Florida

Galerie Benden & Klimczac, Köln

Robert Miller Gallery, New York

University of California at Long Beach, Long beach     

Flora Bigai Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Venezia

Flora Bigai Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Pietrasanta, Lucca

Galerie Arte e Arte/Falcone-Borsellino, Bologna, Italy

Galerie Benden & Klimczac, Viersen

2004   

Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London

Galerie Rive Gauche, Paris

Julian Solms, Berlin

Galeria Ramis Barquet, Mexico

Galerie Benden & Klimczac, Viersen 

2005

Maxwell Davidson Gallery, New York

MACRO (Museo d'Arte Contemporanea Roma) Rome

2006   

Robert Miller Gallery, New York 

2007   

The Columns, Gangnam-gu, Korea

Leonard Hutton Galleries, New York

Yvon Lambert, New York

Maxwell Davidson Gallery, New York

2008   

Mitterrand + Cramer, Geneva

Forum Gallery, Los Angeles

Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London 

2009
Galerie Thomas, Munich

Haunch of Venison, New York

Galerie Pascal Lansberg, Paris
Stadtische Galerie Ravensburg, Ravensburg

2010   

David Janis Gallery, New York

Maxwell Davidson Gallery, Tom Wesselmann, Plastic Works, New York

Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale, Nova Southeastern University, FL

Haunch of Venison Gallery, Tom Wesselmann, Works 1958-2004, London

Galerie Klaus Benden, Tom Wesselmann, Flowers, Cologne 

2011   

The Kreeger Museum, Washington, DC, Tom Wesselmann Draws

Gallery Fluegel-Roncak, Nuremberg, Tom Wesselmann - Nudes and Flowers

Galerie Klaus Benden, Cologne, Tom Wesselmann, Grafiken

2013   

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond (catalogue)

Alan Cristea Gallery, Still Life, Nude, Landscape: The Late Prints, London 

2014   

Denver Art Museum

Cincinnati Art Museum

2016    

David Zwirner Gallery, London, Tom Wessemann Collages 1959-1964

Mitchell-Innes and Nash Gallery, New York, Tom Wesselmann

2017

'Masters', Mill Contemporary, Santa Fe

'Instant Karma', Achenbach Hagemeier, Dusseldorf

Art Basel, Basel  

2018

'Art into Life! Collector Wolfgang Hahn and the 60', MUMOK, Vienna

'A Luta Continua. The Sylvio Perlstein Collection', Hauser and Wirth, New York

'Westunst - Ostkunst: New Collection', Ludwig Museum of Contemporary Art, Budapest

'American Icons', Opera Gallery, Paris

 

SELECTED COLLECTIONS

Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY

Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, CA 

Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE

Colorado Springs fine Arts Centre, CO

Denver Art Museum, CO

The Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota, FL

Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, Cologne, Germany

University of Kansas, Spencer Museum of Art, Lawrence, KS

Rose Art Gallery, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA

Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis, MN

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO

Washington University Gallery of Art, St. Louis, MO

Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, NE

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, NY, NY

Whitney Museum of American Art, NY, NY

The Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH

Allentown Art Museum, Allentown, PA

Philadelphia Museum of Art, PA

Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art, Austin, TX

Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, Dallas, TX

The Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA

Neue National Gallery, Berlin, Germany

Museum of 2oth Century, Vienna, Italy

Tate Collection, UK

Museum of Modern Art, NY, NY

University of Texas, Austin, TX

Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, OH

Rice University, Houston, TX

Atkins Museum of Fine Arts, Kansas City, MO

University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NB

Minneapolis Institution of Fine Arts, Minneapolis, MN

Walker Art Center, Minneaoplis, MN

Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton, NJ

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Sydney & Francis Lewis Collection, Richmond, VA

Washington University, St Louis, MO

Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden, Washington DC

National Museum of Art, Smithsonian Institute, Washington DC

Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, MA

Louisiana Museum, Humlebaek, Denmark

Museé d'Art et d'industrie, St. Etienne, France

Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum, Aachen, Germany

Landesmuseum, Darmstadt, Germany

Kaiser-Wilhelm-Museum, Krefeld, Germany

Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel

Nasjonalgallerie, Oslo, Norway

Hakone Open Air Museum, Hakone, Japan

Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, Japan

The Hiroshima Profectural Museum of Art, Hiroshima, Japan

Iwaki City Museum of Modern Art, Iwaki, Japan

Kawamura Museum of Art, Chiba, Japan

The Museum of Modern Art, Shiga, Japan

The Modern Art Museum, Tokushima, Japan

Museum of Modern Art, Toyama, Japan

Sunje Museum of Contemporary Art, Kyungju City, Korea

Exhibitions
Art Fairs
Publications