Downtowner Dracula
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
lithograph (zinc and aluminum) in yellow, beige and black on uncalendered Rives paper
Dimensions
sheet: 27.6 x 26.2 cm (10 7/8 x 10 5/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Dorothy J. and Benjamin B. Smith
Accession Number
1983.18.249
Art Historical Context
Billy Al Bengston's *Downtowner Dracula*1968) is a striking lithograph captures the playful irreverence of the late 1960s Los Angeles art scene. Printed in vibrant yellow, earthy beige, and bold black on textured, uncalendered Rives paper this 27.6 x 26.2 cm work showcases Bengston's experimental approach to printmaking. Using zinc and aluminum plates, the lithographic technique allowed for precise layering of colors and subtle textures, evoking the, polished aesthetic of California's Finish Fetish movement, with which Bengston was closely associated. As a key figure in the Ferus Gallery circ...
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 ...