John Wesley

(American, 1928–2022)

John Wesley is a contemporary American painter. Characterized by his uniquely graphic, flattened Pop paintings, Wesley’s work addresses themes of sexuality and erotica through stylized and symmetrically composed images. Rendered in distinctive pink and blue pastel hues, Wesley repeats the same graphic symbolic images in tessellation-like patterns on his large canvases, and regularly employs leitmotifs like pornography and avian fowl—often to humorous effect—throughout his oeuvre. Though his paintings are reminiscent of his contemporary Tom Wesselmann, his personal associations were with peers Dan Flavin and Donald Judd, and he was inspired by both the Minimalist and Surrealist movements. That being said, “I didn’t go out and try to be a Surrealist,” Wesley explained of his ambiguous imagery. “It was just fun doing what I was doing.” Born on November 25, 1928 in Los Angeles, CA, he was a self-taught artist who worked for several years an illustrator for the avian industry. His work has been critically acclaimed throughout his career, and he has been the subject of several retrospectives, notably including at the PS1 Contemporary Art Center in New York in 2000.

John Wesley Artworks

John Wesley (388 results)

Rhubarb, 1964

John Wesley

Rhubarb, 1964

Sale Date: May 16, 2013

Auction Closed

Police Officers, Off Duty, 1994

John Wesley

Police Officers, Off Duty, 1994

Sale Date: May 16, 2013

Auction Closed

December 5, 1998

John Wesley

December 5, 1998

Sale Date: May 16, 2013

Auction Closed

String of Girls, 1989

John Wesley

String of Girls, 1989

Sale Date: May 16, 2013

Auction Closed

Panoply: Eight Silkscreen Prints Inspired by , 1971

John Wesley

Panoply: Eight Silkscreen Prints Inspired by , 1971

Sale Date: April 29, 2013

Auction Closed

Hooties Wife and Red Lips (2 works), 2005

John Wesley

Hooties Wife and Red Lips (2 works), 2005

Sale Date: April 29, 2013

Auction Closed

Backyard, 1983

John Wesley

Backyard, 1983

Sale Date: April 25, 2013

Auction Closed

Surf (2 works) (in 2 parts), 1978

John Wesley

Surf (2 works) (in 2 parts), 1978

Sale Date: March 8, 2013

Auction Closed

Dream of Unicorns (from Eleven Pop Artists,..., 1965

John Wesley

Dream of Unicorns (from Eleven Pop Artists,..., 1965

Sale Date: January 8, 2013

Auction Closed

Maiden (from 11 Pop Artists II), 1965

John Wesley

Maiden (from 11 Pop Artists II), 1965

Sale Date: December 4, 2012

Auction Closed

Rosie, 1992

John Wesley

Sale Date: November 13, 2012

Auction Closed

Leda and the Man, 2002

John Wesley

Leda and the Man, 2002

Sale Date: November 16, 2012

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1998

John Wesley

Untitled, 1998

Sale Date: November 15, 2012

Auction Closed

Bird lady (from 11 Pop Artists, Volume II), 1965

John Wesley

Bird lady (from 11 Pop Artists, Volume II), 1965

Sale Date: November 1, 2012

Auction Closed

Handcuffs, 1992

John Wesley

Handcuffs, 1992

Sale Date: October 12, 2012

Auction Closed

Red lips, 2005

John Wesley

Red lips, 2005

Sale Date: August 28, 2012

Auction Closed

Joke, 2000

John Wesley

Sale Date: May 10, 2012

Auction Closed

Bird Woman, 1965

John Wesley

Bird Woman, 1965

Sale Date: May 5, 2012

Auction Closed

Untitled

John Wesley

Sale Date: March 9, 2012

Auction Closed

No. & So. Dakota, 1964

John Wesley

No. & So. Dakota, 1964

Sale Date: November 9, 2011

Auction Closed

Standing nude - Genußschein für Portikus,..., 2001

John Wesley

Standing nude - Genußschein für Portikus,..., 2001

Sale Date: November 4, 2011

Auction Closed

Babies, 1986

John Wesley

Sale Date: October 15, 2011

Auction Closed

Flight, 1968

John Wesley

Sale Date: September 22, 2011

Auction Closed

Self-portrait, 1970

John Wesley

Self-portrait, 1970

Sale Date: August 24, 2011

Auction Closed

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