Kenny Scharf

Kenny Scharf - Bebe & Bobo - 2013 - Oil & Acrylic on Linen with aluminum artist painted frame - 20 x 24 in.Kenny Scharf (born 1958) was part of the East Village Art Scene in New York, during the 1980s. He was one of the first artists to inject elements of street culture into the main stream of contemporary art.

“His paintings incorporate imagery from advertisements, cartoons and classic Americana into exuberant compositions with an underlying subversive edge.”

He now lives and works in both L.A. and New York.

Ellsworth Kelly - The Hard Edge

Ellsworth Kelly - Spectrum Colors Arranged by Chance VI - 1951 - Cut-and-pasted color-coated paper and pencil on four sheets of black paper - 37 1/4 x 37 1/4" (94.6 x 94.6 cm) Museum of Modern Art (MoMa), New YorkIn “Hard-edge painting”, abrupt transitions are found between color areas, the latter of which are often made up of one unvarying color. The Hard-edge painting style is related to several of the abstract postmodern movements. Ellsworth Kelly (born 1923) is an American artist associated with hard-edge painting, as well as with Color Field painting, and Minimalism. His works demonstrate unassuming techniques that emphasize the simplicity of form.

The Great American Nude

Tom Wesselmann - Great American Nude, 2 - 1961 - Synthetic polymer paint, gesso, charcoal, enamel, oil, and collage on plywood - 59 5/8 x 47 1/2" (151.5 x 120.5 cm) - Larry Aldrich Foundation Fund - Museum of Modern Art (MoMa) New York (click photo for larger image)Tom Wesselmann (American, 1931–2004) was a Pop artist best known for his series "The Great American Nude," which includes overtly erotic female nudes in bright, primary colors.

"Hopper Drawing"

Edward Hopper (1882–1967), Study for Nighthawks, 1941 or 1942. Fabricated chalk and charcoal on paper; 11 1/8 × 15 in. (28.3 × 38.1 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase and gift of Josephine N. Hopper by exchange  2011.65 (click photo for larger image)

"'Hopper Drawing' is the first major museum exhibition to focus on the drawings and creative process of Edward Hopper (1882–1967)."

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\From May 23rd to October 6th, 2013--the drawings will be on view at the Whitney Museum in New York. You can also explore the studies (which are remarkable) online.

Does Contemporary Art Make the Old Masters Look Cheap?

Sandro Botticelli - “Madonna and Child With Young Saint John the Baptist” (also known as "The Rockefeller Madonna") which sold for $10.4 millionCollective sales of works by Old Masters took in less than half of the $400 million contemporary art sale that Christie's held last November. It begs the question, “Does Contemporary Art Make the Old Masters Look Cheap?” READ the numbers and see what you think!