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)
Ka'ao, 1983

Billy Al Bengston

Ka'ao, 1983

Sale Date: February 21, 2024

Auction Closed

The Alamo - Blue, 1969

Billy Al Bengston

The Alamo - Blue, 1969

Sale Date: February 21, 2024

Auction Closed

Rio Lobo, 1971

Billy Al Bengston

Rio Lobo, 1971

Sale Date: December 14, 2023

Auction Closed

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, 1969

Billy Al Bengston

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, 1969

Sale Date: December 14, 2023

Auction Closed

Untitled (Puerto Escondido), 1977

Billy Al Bengston

Untitled (Puerto Escondido), 1977

Sale Date: November 30, 2023

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1979

Billy Al Bengston

Untitled, 1979

Sale Date: November 30, 2023

Auction Closed

Big Duke, 1960

Billy Al Bengston

Big Duke, 1960

Sale Date: November 10, 2023

Auction Closed

Untitled/Watercolor, 1976, 1976

Billy Al Bengston

Untitled/Watercolor, 1976, 1976

Sale Date: November 5, 2023

Auction Closed

Venice Watercolor, 1973

Billy Al Bengston

Venice Watercolor, 1973

Sale Date: October 19, 2023

Auction Closed

Honolulu Watercolor, 1982

Billy Al Bengston

Honolulu Watercolor, 1982

Sale Date: October 19, 2023

Auction Closed

Naka Draculas, 1981

Billy Al Bengston

Naka Draculas, 1981

Sale Date: October 19, 2023

Auction Closed

Business Cards. WITH--EDWARD RUSCHA. Royal..., 1000

Billy Al Bengston and Ed Ruscha

Business Cards. WITH--EDWARD RUSCHA. Royal..., 1000

Sale Date: October 5, 2023

Auction Closed

Birmingham Small Arms II (B.S.A.), 1961

Billy Al Bengston

Birmingham Small Arms II (B.S.A.), 1961

Sale Date: September 29, 2023

Auction Closed

Ava, 1960

Billy Al Bengston

Ava, 1960

Sale Date: September 29, 2023

Auction Closed

Ho Opuka Mua, 1983

Billy Al Bengston

Ho Opuka Mua, 1983

Sale Date: September 20, 2023

Auction Closed

Turkey Dracula, 1973

Billy Al Bengston

Turkey Dracula, 1973

Sale Date: September 20, 2023

Auction Closed

'Zapato - Tiempo' Etching, 1988

Billy Al Bengston and Ed Ruscha

'Zapato - Tiempo' Etching, 1988

Sale Date: September 16, 2023

Auction Closed

Bostic Dracula; Rocket Dracula Primero (two..., 1968

Billy Al Bengston

Bostic Dracula; Rocket Dracula Primero (two..., 1968

Sale Date: September 7, 2023

Auction Closed

Watercolor (Lahaina), 1978

Billy Al Bengston

Watercolor (Lahaina), 1978

Sale Date: August 1, 2023

Auction Closed

Honolulu Watercolor, 1980

Billy Al Bengston

Honolulu Watercolor, 1980

Sale Date: August 1, 2023

Auction Closed

The Alamo - Blue, 1969

Billy Al Bengston

The Alamo - Blue, 1969

Sale Date: August 1, 2023

Auction Closed

Elvis, 1961

Billy Al Bengston

Elvis, 1961

Sale Date: July 18, 2023

Auction Closed

John Wayne Series #14, 1968

Billy Al Bengston

John Wayne Series #14, 1968

Sale Date: July 18, 2023

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1973

Billy Al Bengston

Untitled, 1973

Sale Date: July 18, 2023

Auction Closed

English (US)

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