The exhibition reflects Wesselmann’s total commitment to hyperrealist practice since his early days. The Portrait collages of 1959-60, raw but poignant compositions, already incorporate external elements, dried leaves or cigarette packets, and mark a turning point in his practice. The room of small nudes, made with two models, Claire Selley, who would become his third wife, and Judy Teichberg, remains one of the wonders of the exhibition, as we see his passion for Matisse there. Most of the works on display date from the 1960s and early 1970s, the period of the sexual revolution. We therefore see many female nudes, recurring subjects for Wesselmann with mouths and fingernails, including the series Great American Nudes (1961) which summons references linked to the American dream and the great American novel.

Excerpt from the article by Béatrice Andrieux published in N°112 of the magazine Art Absolument. Published on January 15, 2025

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