Tom Wesselmann Retrospective in Paris

Tom Wesselmann (1931-2004) began his career as a cartoonist and illustrator for men’s magazines. It was after he left his home in Cincinnati and moved to New York in 1956, where he studied art at Cooper Union and was able to visit great art museums and galleries in the city, that he decided to pursue his career as an artist.

Wesselman said that the abstract works of Robert Motherwell and the figurative works of Willem de Kooning inspired him to create work that not only simplified the female form, but also used bold images of consumer products.

His paintings and sculptures placed him, by critics and collectors, in the Pop Art category, a label that did not make him happy. “I dislike labels in general and “Pop’ in particular,” Wesselmann said, “especially because it overemphasizes the material used. There does seem to be a tendency to use similar materials and images, but the different ways they are used denies any kind of group intention.”

Despite his objections, the label stuck and is in the title of an incredible exhibit at the Foundation Louis Vuitton in Paris. Pop Forever, Tom Wesselmann &… is a retrospective of Wesselmann’s work, interspersed with the works of modern and contemporary artists who share a similar sensibility.

Wesselmann’s large 150 paintings and mixed media works, along with the work of 35 other artists, take up all four floors of the Foundation's building. The combination of styles combine to showcase the flow of and commonality of Pop art from varying times and different cultures.

The exhibit includes works by Pop icons like Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, James Rosenquist and Robert Rauschenberg and contemporary artists like Kaws and Derrick Adams. Brooklyn-based artist Derrick Adams (b.1970) created works for the exhibit that were inspired by Wesselmann’s Great American Nude series. 

Wesselmann was one of the most innovative and creative artists of his time, yet he was never given a major retrospective during his lifetime. He was one of the first artists to use an industrial laser, which was not available until the 1970s. He began to create innovative Steel Cut drawings, like Monica Lying on Blanket,1988, available at Surovek Gallery.

Pop Forever, Tom Wesselmann &…will be on exhibit at the Foundation Louis Vuitton in Paris through February 25, 2025.