The first time his work was exhibited, he was called a copycat by many art critics as his works closely resembled the originals. Roy Lichtenstein initially worked in Cubism and Abstract Expressionism before moving to Pop Art, the genre in which he made his mark. Masterpiece: Scull (1981) Scull (1981) – Jean-Michel Basquiat He died of heroin overdose at the age of only 27. Jean-Michel Basquiat is perhaps the most famous American artist of the Neo-expressionism movement, which is characterized by intense subjectivity and rough handling of materials. His art focused on “suggestive dichotomies”, such as wealth versus poverty, integration versus segregation, and inner versus outer experience. In the early 1980s, Basquiat swiftly rose to become one of the most well known artists in the United States. SAMO soon received media attention but the duo split and the project ended in 1979. They used the pseudonym SAMO, an acronym for “Same Old Shit”. In 1976, Basquiat and his friend Al Diaz began spray painting graffiti on buildings in Lower Manhattan. The graffiti art movement reached its peak in the U.S. Homeless and unemployed, Jean-Michel Basquiat began his career as a graffiti artist. #8 Jean-Michel Basquiat Jean-Michel Basquiat Masterpiece: Four Freedoms series (194 3 ) Freedom from Want (1943) – Norman Rockwell Still, he was the most widely known and popular commercial artist of mid-20th century America. Rockwell did not achieve critical acclaim with art critics not regarding him as a “serious painter”. The paintings Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want and Freedom from Fear are among his best known works. In 1943, he created four paintings corresponding to the four freedoms mentioned by U.S. Rockwell is most famous for his illustrations of everyday life for capturing the spirit of small town America and for his patriotic depictions during World War II. Most of his works were created as cover illustrations of The Saturday Evening Post magazine, and later the Look magazine. Norman Rockwell was a prolific artist, producing more than 4,000 original works in his lifetime. Masterpiece: Calder’s Circus (1926-1931) Calder’s Circus (1931) – Alexander Calder Two months after his death in November 1976, Alexander Calder was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States. 125 for JFK Airport in New York City in 1957 Spirale for UNESCO in Paris the following year and his largest sculpture El Sol Rojo in 1968 outside the Aztec Stadium for the New Mexico Summer Olympic Games. Calder also created monumental sculptures including. In addition to mobiles, Calder made static sculpture called stabiles, wire sculptures, toys, theatrical sets, paintings in oil and gouache, and even jewelry and numerous household objects. One of the most influential sculptors of the twentieth century and perhaps the most acclaimed American sculptor, Alexander Calder is famous for his invention of the mobile, an abstract sculpture that moves in response to touch or air currents by taking advantage of the principle of equilibrium. Know more about visual art of the United States through the 10 most famous American artists and their masterpieces. Many of the best known artists of the modern era come from the United States including the Realist Edward Hopper, the Modernist Georgia O’Keeffe, the Abstract Expressionist Jackson Pollock, the Pop Artist Andy Warhol and the Graffiti Artist Keith Haring. also played a major role in M odernism, Neo-Expressionism and Graffiti Art. It was followed by the Pop Art movement, which was characterized by use of recognizable imagery from popular culture like advertisements, celebrities and comic book characters.
It emphasized on conveying strong emotional or expressive content through abstraction. Abstract Expressionism was the first specifically American movement to achieve international influence. The first prominent art movement in the United States was Realism, which depicted contemporary social realities and the lives of ordinary people. Though several American artists became well known in the 19th century, it was only in the 20th century that the United States began to have a major influence on the international art world. The early style of America artists was based primarily on English painting.