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 Artworks

Billy Al Bengston (421 results)
Exhibition ephemera, 1977–2016

Billy Al Bengston

Exhibition ephemera, 1977–2016

Sale Date: August 11, 2022

Auction Closed

Holy Smoke, 1966

Billy Al Bengston

Holy Smoke, 1966

Sale Date: July 20, 2022

Auction Closed

Ingrid, 1960

Billy Al Bengston

Ingrid, 1960

Sale Date: July 20, 2022

Auction Closed

Honolulu Fall Watercolor, 2014

Billy Al Bengston

Honolulu Fall Watercolor, 2014

Sale Date: July 20, 2022

Auction Closed

L Duke 2, 1971

Billy Al Bengston

L Duke 2, 1971

Sale Date: July 12, 2022

Auction Closed

The Mild One, 1963

Billy Al Bengston

The Mild One, 1963

Sale Date: May 13, 2022

Auction Closed

Untitled (Hawaii)., 1981

Billy Al Bengston

Untitled (Hawaii)., 1981

Sale Date: May 12, 2022

Auction Closed

Ka'ao, 1984

Billy Al Bengston

Ka'ao, 1984

Sale Date: May 11, 2022

Auction Closed

JW Screen, 1966

Billy Al Bengston

JW Screen, 1966

Sale Date: May 3, 2022

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1982

Billy Al Bengston

Untitled, 1982

Sale Date: May 3, 2022

Auction Closed

Business Cards, 1968

Billy Al Bengston and Ed Ruscha

Business Cards, 1968

Sale Date: May 3, 2022

Auction Closed

The Alamo - Yellow, 1969, 1969

Billy Al Bengston

The Alamo - Yellow, 1969, 1969

Sale Date: April 20, 2022

Auction Closed

Honolulu Watercolor, 1980

Billy Al Bengston

Honolulu Watercolor, 1980

Sale Date: April 13, 2022

Auction Closed

Natalie, 1959

Billy Al Bengston

Natalie, 1959

Sale Date: April 6, 2022

Auction Closed

Exhibition ephemera (eight works), 1977–2016

Billy Al Bengston

Exhibition ephemera (eight works), 1977–2016

Sale Date: March 25, 2022

Auction Closed

Arisa-chan, 2007

Billy Al Bengston

Arisa-chan, 2007

Sale Date: March 25, 2022

Auction Closed

Business Cards, 1968

Billy Al Bengston and Ed Ruscha

Business Cards, 1968

Sale Date: March 10, 2022

Auction Closed

Ink Drawing, 1962

Billy Al Bengston

Ink Drawing, 1962

Sale Date: February 22, 2022

Auction Closed

L Duke 2, 1971

Billy Al Bengston

L Duke 2, 1971

Sale Date: February 22, 2022

Auction Closed

Watercolor (Lahaina), 1978

Billy Al Bengston

Watercolor (Lahaina), 1978

Sale Date: December 15, 2021

Auction Closed

JC, 2000

Billy Al Bengston

JC, 2000

Sale Date: December 16, 2021

Auction Closed

RUSCHA, EDWARD and BENGSTON, BILLY AL. Business...

Billy Al Bengston and Ed Ruscha

RUSCHA, EDWARD and BENGSTON, BILLY AL. Business...

Sale Date: November 9, 2021

Auction Closed

Andy, 1961

Billy Al Bengston

Andy, 1961

Sale Date: November 12, 2021

Auction Closed

Burnished aluminum drawing, T5, 1971

Billy Al Bengston

Burnished aluminum drawing, T5, 1971

Sale Date: October 24, 2021

Auction Closed