Tom Wesselmann
American, 1931–2004
Still Life #41
INV-9334
Tom Wesselmann
American, 1931–20041964
Still Life #41
Tom Wesselmann American, 1931–2004 →sculpturemodern and contemporary art
Date
1964
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on wood and plastic
Dimensions
121.9 × 152.4 × 20.3 cm (48 × 60 × 8 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Through prior gift of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Morris
A leading figure of Pop Art, Tom Wesselmann approached contemporary American culture in terms of classical art-historical genres, like the nude and the still life. His early still-life assemblages, begun in 1962, melded painted forms with readymade objects and popular advertising images, creating a tension between the real and the depicted. A trip to a retail display manufacturer specializing in decorative objects inspired Wesselmann to have objects made in plastic from wooden molds and then painted and placed onto Formica shelves. Still Life #41 features both flat and dimensional objects. Removing identifying brands and labels, the artist emphasized the formal qualities of these purified, isolated shapes. Here the wooden facade of a 1930s table radio, a plastic half orange, and a plastic beer bottle become timeless, ironic icons.
Also notable
Works in the same vein
Drawing for Still Life #12
Tom Wesselmann American, 1931–2004
Great American Nude Study
Tom Wesselmann American, 1931-2004
Cut-Out Nude
Tom Wesselmann American, 1931–2004
Still Life 1965, from New York Ten
Tom Wesselmann (American, 1931–2004) published by Tanglewood Press, Incorporated (American, 20th century)