Bostic Dracula
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
lithograph (stone) in black on Magnani Italia paper
Dimensions
image: 24 x 22 cm (9 7/16 x 8 11/16 in.) sheet: 34.3 x 34.3 cm (13 1/2 x 13 1/2 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Dorothy J. and Benjamin B. Smith
Accession Number
1983.18.284
Art Historical Context
Billy Al Bengston's *Bostic Dracula* (1968) is a striking black lithograph on luxurious Magnani Italia paper, 24 x 22 cm for the image and 34.3 x 34.3 cm for the full sheet. Created during the vibrant late-1960s Los Angeles art scene, this captures Bengston's playful fusion of pop culture and personal motifs. As a key figure in the " School" and Finish Fetish movements, Bengston drew inspiration from motorcycle racing, surf culture, and bold graphics—evident here in the enigmatic title blending "Bostic" (likely a nod to his racing persona) with the iconic vampire Dracula, evoking horror film a...
About the Artist
Billy Al Bengston
Billy Al Bengston, born on June 7, 1934, in Dodge City, Kansas, embodied the sun-soaked, rebellious spirit of postwar Los Angeles after his family relocated there in 1948. His artistic training began at Los Angeles City College in 1952, where he studied ceramics under Bernard Kester. He then pursued painting under Richard Diebenkorn and Saburo Hasegawa at the California College of Arts and Crafts ...