Billy Al Bengston

(American, 1934–2022)

Billy Al Bengston was a contemporary American artist perhaps best known for his radical use of the aesthetics of Californian “Kustom Kar” and motorcycle culture of the late 1950s. Working in both painting and sculpture, his psychedelically colorful works feature mandala-like shapes with imagery derived from symbols, chevrons, and iris flowers. Bengston often used the industrial tools of custom car makers, particularly spray paint and lacquer applied to sheets of aluminum. Born on June 7, 1934 in Dodge City, KA, the artist studied under Richard Diebenkorn and Saburo Hasegawa at the California College of Arts and Crafts before moving to Los Angeles. There, Bengston began showing at the famed Ferus Gallery and established himself as part of a group that rejected the stereotype of the artist as a tormented individual, alongside famed Californian artists like John McCracken, Robert Irwin, and Ed Ruscha. Today, his works can be found in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Cleveland Museum of Art, among others.

Billy Al Bengston News

On View

Billy Al Bengston Cements His Legacy at Venus Over Manhattan

by Henri Neuendorf
Billy Al Bengston Cements His Legacy at Venus Over Manhattan
Opinion

Billy Al Bengston: Riding His Hog to the Brink of Pop Art

by Blake Gopnik
Billy Al Bengston: Riding His Hog to the Brink of Pop Art
Analysis

Who Are the Most Undervalued Artists in Today's Market?

by Henri Neuendorf
Who Are the Most Undervalued Artists in Today's Market?

Billy Al Bengston Artworks

Artworks for Sale &
Auction Results

Billy Al Bengston (421 results)
Isla Todos Santo draculas (on three panel..., 1975

Billy Al Bengston

Isla Todos Santo draculas (on three panel..., 1975

Sale Date: May 4, 2009

Auction Closed

Kahuna, 1982

Billy Al Bengston

Kahuna, 1982

Sale Date: November 18, 2008

Auction Closed

Honolulu (from the Syracuse China series), 1979

Billy Al Bengston

Honolulu (from the Syracuse China series), 1979

Sale Date: November 18, 2008

Auction Closed

Victoria, 2000

Billy Al Bengston

Victoria, 2000

Sale Date: June 29, 2008

Auction Closed

Untitled (Dento)

Billy Al Bengston

Untitled (Dento)

Sale Date: May 5, 2008

Auction Closed

The lunatic Dracula, 1960

Billy Al Bengston

The lunatic Dracula, 1960

Sale Date: November 19, 2007

Auction Closed

Business Cards (artist book), 1968

Billy Al Bengston and Ed Ruscha

Business Cards (artist book), 1968

Sale Date: October 14, 2007

Auction Closed

Business cards, 1968

Billy Al Bengston and Ed Ruscha

Business cards, 1968

Sale Date: May 22, 2007

Auction Closed

Business cards, 1968

Billy Al Bengston and Ed Ruscha

Business cards, 1968

Sale Date: June 3, 2007

Auction Closed

Venice, 1973

Billy Al Bengston

Venice, 1973

Sale Date: May 22, 2007

Auction Closed

Tom, 1968

Billy Al Bengston

Tom, 1968

Sale Date: May 22, 2007

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1958

Billy Al Bengston

Untitled, 1958

Sale Date: May 22, 2007

Auction Closed

The Alamo, 1969

Billy Al Bengston

The Alamo, 1969

Sale Date: December 3, 2006

Auction Closed

Business cards, 1959–1999

Billy Al Bengston and Ed Ruscha

Business cards, 1959–1999

Sale Date: November 21, 2006

Auction Closed

Honolulu watercolor A# 26, 1981

Billy Al Bengston

Honolulu watercolor A# 26, 1981

Sale Date: December 14, 2005

Auction Closed

Notbakselser Draculas, 1977

Billy Al Bengston

Notbakselser Draculas, 1977

Sale Date: October 25, 1990

Auction Closed

Ka'ao, 1984

Billy Al Bengston

Ka'ao, 1984

Sale Date: October 25, 1990

Auction Closed

Ka'ao, 1984

Billy Al Bengston

Ka'ao, 1984

Sale Date: October 25, 1990

Auction Closed

Untitled (Ceramic vase)

Billy Al Bengston

Untitled (Ceramic vase)

Sale Date: October 25, 1990

Auction Closed

Portrait, 1957

Billy Al Bengston

Portrait, 1957

Sale Date: October 25, 1990

Auction Closed

Pitcher with abstract figure

Billy Al Bengston

Pitcher with abstract figure

Sale Date: October 25, 1990

Auction Closed

Uluniu draculas, 1979

Billy Al Bengston

Uluniu draculas, 1979

Sale Date: February 23, 2005

Auction Closed

Earp, 1961

Billy Al Bengston

Earp, 1961

Sale Date: January 11, 2005

Auction Closed

Boca dulce draculas

Billy Al Bengston

Boca dulce draculas

Sale Date: November 7, 2004

Auction Closed

English (US)

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