Great American Dreamer

Alastair Sooke | The World of Interiors | 17th October 2024

Wesselmann was among the earliest Pop artists yet never got as much credit. He didn’t see himself as part of Pop, although his paintings and collages (some almost big enough to be installations) riff on American culture. Perhaps their air of “imperial [American] self-confidence” no longer resonates. Charges that his Great American Nudes series are sexist (rebutted here) have perhaps taken a toll. So, is Wesselmann’s art a “celebration or critique” of America? He gets the benefit of the doubt … just.