| dc.description.abstract | In the 1960s, Pop art emerged from the controversy over the mixture of fine art and kitsch. In the early 60s, Tom Wesselmann (1931-2004) gained fame by the Great American Nudes, and was considered as the Pop artist. “Nude” is an enduring theme in European art. Great American Nude attempted to Americanize the traditional subject of the female nude. Wesselmann became more and more interested in the erotic aspects of the body after he began producing the series. He viewed art as aggressive, and used eroticism to make his paintings both erotically aggressive and visually compelling. The erotic Great American Nudes not only renewed the traditional subject but also reflected the sexual revolution in 1960s. My study focuses on the Great American Nudes, examining how Wesselmann depicted the erotic nude. The relation between Great American Nude and the cultural change is central to my study.
First, this dissertation studies the career of Wesselmann to present the connection between his early works and Pop art. Then, I emphasize Wesselmann’s intention to challenge the artists of previous generations. In chapter two, I examine the thriving urban life of the 60s as the creative background of Wesselmann’s adoption of the modern elements for this series. Through comparing the Great American Nudes with the pinup girl, I focus on how the artist transformed the dehumanized figure into a generalized nude. Finally, chapter three is concerned with the topic of objectification and fetishism. Through discussing the eroticism in the extended works in the later phase, I stress the coherence of Wesselmann’s creative thinking. The Great American Nudes, as Wesselmann’s first complete serial work, reveals his response to art and culture through a humorous title and content. After various transformation over twelve years, he made the female nude an icon combining tradition and innovation, and presented the idea of eroticism through his unique style.
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