Curatorial notes
Here we have Tom Wesselmann's "Judy With Blue Blanket," a work that sits within the Pop Art movement, in which he, and other artists, responded to the rise of consumer culture in post-war America. The simplified, almost cartoonish representation of the female body, is typical of Wesselmann's work. It reduces Judy to a set of stylized lines and colors. What does it mean to represent a person this way? How does it affect our perception and understanding of her as an individual? Wesselmann himself said that "the parts are more real than the whole.” His words challenge us to consider the nature of identity. Is it possible to capture the essence of a person by focusing on fragments? These types of images gained prevalence in the ‘60s, questioning traditional art values and mirroring the shifting roles and representations of women in society. What does it mean for women to see themselves, or not see themselves, in these portrayals?
