Mixed Bouquet with Leger, from Portfolio 90 1993

This is Tom Wesselmann playing with a still life, probably made with lithography or screen printing, maybe even cut outs... The image has these flat, bold colors, you know, pinks, oranges, yellows, reds. And these simplified shapes of flowers, fruit, and even a Léger painting in the background. It's like he's saying, "Hey, let's take these classic art subjects and zap them with some pop art energy." I imagine Wesselmann in his studio, thinking about Matisse, thinking about how to make a painting that's both a picture and a thing, a real object. It's like he's asking, "How can I make something that's totally flat but also totally alive?" I bet Wesselmann was looking at all kinds of art and saying, "I can do that, but I'm gonna do it my way." And that's the best part about painting, right? We're all talking to each other across time, stealing ideas, and making them our own.