Roy De Forest

(American, 1930–2007)

Roy De Forest was an American painter best known for depictions of bizarre, often humorous scenes. Painted in vivid color, his works are frequently populated by cartoon dogs, farm animals, and dissolving forms. He is considered a pioneering figure in the Funk and Nut Art movements, along with other prominent artists like Peter Saul, Gladys Nilsson, and Jim Nutt. His work, Country Dog Gentlmen (1972), is a hallmark example of his self-described practice as an "obscure visual constructor of mechanical delights." Born on February 11, 1930 in North Platte, Nebraska to a farming family, his father was forced to move to them to Yakima, WA during the Great Depression. De Forest went on to study at the California School of Fine Arts, earning a BA in 1953. Later, while working as a sign painter for the US military, he earned his MFA from San Francisco State College. Today, the artist’s work can be found among the collections of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C., the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. De Forest died on May 18, 2007 in Vallejo, CA.

Roy De Forest Artworks

Roy De Forest (372 results)
Dog with shadow, 1975

Roy De Forest

Dog with shadow, 1975

Sale Date: November 13, 2011

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1959

Roy De Forest

Untitled, 1959

Sale Date: November 22, 2011

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1983

Roy De Forest

Untitled, 1983

Sale Date: November 22, 2011

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1988

Roy De Forest

Untitled, 1988

Sale Date: May 24, 2011

Auction Closed

Big foot no.1, 1985

Roy De Forest

Big foot no.1, 1985

Sale Date: May 1, 2011

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1978

Roy De Forest

Untitled, 1978

Sale Date: May 3, 2011

Auction Closed

Artist's prison, 1976

Roy De Forest

Artist's prison, 1976

Sale Date: March 13, 2011

Auction Closed

Untitled (Reclining figure), 1988

Roy De Forest

Untitled (Reclining figure), 1988

Sale Date: November 23, 2010

Auction Closed

Don't look a brick gift horse in the mouth

Roy De Forest

Don't look a brick gift horse in the mouth

Sale Date: July 7, 2010

Auction Closed

Campfire by moonlight, 1986

Roy De Forest

Campfire by moonlight, 1986

Sale Date: July 7, 2010

Auction Closed

Sans titre, 1977

Roy De Forest

Sans titre, 1977

Sale Date: July 7, 2010

Auction Closed

Sans titre, 1977

Roy De Forest

Sans titre, 1977

Sale Date: July 7, 2010

Auction Closed

Sans titre, 1977

Roy De Forest

Sans titre, 1977

Sale Date: July 7, 2010

Auction Closed

Pursuit of the giant canine, 1986–1987

Roy De Forest

Pursuit of the giant canine, 1986–1987

Sale Date: July 7, 2010

Auction Closed

Untitled (Dogs), 1981

Roy De Forest

Untitled (Dogs), 1981

Sale Date: June 9, 2010

Auction Closed

Untitled (Dogs), 1981

Roy De Forest

Untitled (Dogs), 1981

Sale Date: June 9, 2010

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1978

Roy De Forest

Untitled, 1978

Sale Date: June 9, 2010

Auction Closed

Watching for the outriders

Roy De Forest

Watching for the outriders

Sale Date: May 16, 2010

Auction Closed

Airial world, 1966

Roy De Forest

Airial world, 1966

Sale Date: May 3, 2010

Auction Closed

Untitled (Einstein, German Shepherd and red..., 1981

Roy De Forest

Untitled (Einstein, German Shepherd and red..., 1981

Sale Date: January 12, 2010

Auction Closed

Untitled (Green man and big dog), 1977

Roy De Forest

Untitled (Green man and big dog), 1977

Sale Date: January 12, 2010

Auction Closed

Untitled (Tomato head), 1980

Roy De Forest

Untitled (Tomato head), 1980

Sale Date: January 12, 2010

Auction Closed

Untitled (Horses, hearts and clovers), 1980

Roy De Forest

Untitled (Horses, hearts and clovers), 1980

Sale Date: January 12, 2010

Auction Closed

Untitled (T78-123), 1978

Roy De Forest

Untitled (T78-123), 1978

Sale Date: October 18, 2009

Auction Closed