Whether you’re a casual museum goer or a weekly regular, there are a few contemporary visual artists everyone should know at least a little bit about. While you may not know them by name, you’ve certainly seen their work or will recognize the pervasive influence they’ve had on arts and culture.
1. Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988)
Jean-Michel Basquiat is one of the most famous artists to live and work within the last 50 years. Before his career was tragically cut short by a drug overdose at the age of 27, he grew up in New York City and produced hundreds of chaotic, insightful, and critically-acclaimed works. His fascination with poetry, anatomy, and history is reflected in his pieces, which frequently incorporate perceptive phrases, skulls and skeleton-like figures, and commentary on monumental events.
In 2017, Basquiat’s Untitled (1982) became the most expensive work sold by an American artist, auctioning off for a cool $110.5 million. The price people are willing to pay for his paintings undoubtedly attests to his notoriety, but his presence in mainstream pop culture shows that he’s valued by more than just elite art collectors. Direct reproductions of Basquiat’s most famous works can be found on almost any kind of clothing or accessory, at every store from Target to UNIQLO. And countless other forms of expression are not reprints of his work, but are still evidence of his influence and ability to inspire. Basquiat’s techniques live on in the neo-expressionists that came after him, and his themes of race and class relations are just as relevant today.
2. Barbara Kruger (1945- )
Barbara Kruger is an American artist most known for her ability to skillfully combine photography and text to create provocative visual pieces. From an early age, Kruger was interested in graphic design and poetry, which is evident in the way she artfully alters images and combines them with short, poignant phrases. In her most famous works, Kruger juxtaposes bright red Futura fonts with black and white photographs.
Under her direction, Kruger’s most iconic images have been reproduced on countless shirts, mugs, totes, etc., serving to blend the boundary between art and commodity. Her multi-layered, collage pieces are most notable for their sharp critiques of society, advocacy of feminism, and use of direct pronouns like “you.” Ironically, despite her frequent snippy comments about the nature of modern consumerism, Kruger’s use of the white-on-red Futura font caught the eye of a brand loved by consumers worldwide, Supreme. When Complex asked Kruger to comment on Supreme’s blatant rip off of her signature style, she simply replied “What a ridiculous clusterfuck of uncool jokers.”
3. Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997)
Like the aforementioned artists, Roy Lichtenstein’s art is distinct and instantly recognizable. Combining comic book images with societal parodies, Lichtenstein became a leader in the American pop-art movement alongside Andy Warhol and Tom Wesselmann. Lichtenstein is quoted saying Pop Art paintings should not be defined as distinctly American, but rather distinctly industrial: “Everybody has called Pop Art ‘American’ painting, but it’s actually industrial painting.” Lichtenstein’s signature industrial look was achieved through a unique combination of Benday dots, stencils, thick lines, and bold colors.
Perhaps it’s no coincidence that Lichtenstein’s work, inspired by industrialism and mass culture, has become an infamous component of our popular culture. From shirts, to posters, to Sheesh Magazine’s own about page, Lichtenstein’s whimsical style can be found replicated everywhere.
SHEESH! curated a list of 3 contemporary artists that have had an indisputable influence on culture today, but there are certainly more than just 3 worth knowing! Share your favorite artists and pieces with us on Instagram @sheeshmagazine.
