Tom Wesselmann

b. 1931, United States
d. 2004

Tom Wesselmann was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on February 23, 1931.

He attended Hiram College in Ohio from 1949 to 1951 before entering the University of Cincinnati. In 1953, his studies were interrupted by a two year enlistment in the army, during which time he began drawing cartoons. He returned to the university in 1954 and received a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1956. During this time, he decided to pursue a career in cartooning and so enrolled at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. After graduation he moved to New York City, where he was accepted into the Cooper Union and where his focus shifted dramatically to fine art. He received his diploma in 1959. Wesselmann’s work was shown in numerous institutional exhibitions, including retrospectives at institutions like the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris, affirming his status as a significant figure in contemporary art.