The Wikipedia page for Rosalyn Drexler starts off with this quick bio: an American visual artist, novelist, Obie Award-winning playwright, Emmy Award-winning screenwriter and professional wrestler (as Rosa Carlo, the Mexican Spitfire). Well now, you have me intrigued! Drexler’s art career began in assemblage sculpture but she found her true footing in Pop Art collages and paintings. She used appropriated images from magazines, newspapers and movie posters and painted over these collaged pictures with bright pigments to give a handmade look to the mechanical source material. For “Lovers”, she started with a publicity poster from the Elvis Presley movie “Jailhouse Rock”. The lovers in her piece are Elvis and Judy Tyler embracing in the movie. Drexler’s artwork could turn dark and intense, covering such themes as sexuality, fame and violence. “Lovers” is a mixed media composition with collaged paper items and vibrant red acrylic paint. Note also that Drexler is using text bits as design elements, not simply as text.
December's theme: Pop Art
ROSALYN DREXLER (1926 – 2025), “Lovers”, 1963. Buffalo AKG Art Museum, New York US. Collage and paint.
#arthistory #art #PopArt #RosalynDrexler #Elvis
