Tom Wesselmann is back in the limelight, and Paris is buzzing. The Fondation Louis Vuitton has unveiled “Pop Forever, Tom Wesselmann &…,” a sweeping exhibition running until February 24, 2025. It’s not just a retrospective—it’s a full-blown recontextualization of Wesselmann’s impact on Pop Art, reframed for today’s audience.
Spanning all four floors of the iconic building, the exhibition showcases 150 of Wesselmann’s works alongside 70 pieces by 35 artists who share that unmistakable Pop sensibility. Think of it as a conversation across generations and cultures, from the Dadaist roots of the 1920s right up to the present day.
Wesselmann, who passed away in 2004, was a key player in the Pop Art movement of the ’50s and ’60s. Yet, his name doesn’t always roll off the tongue like Warhol or Lichtenstein. This exhibition aims to change that. Curators Dieter Buchhart and Anna Karina Hofbauer have crafted a narrative that situates Wesselmann firmly within art history while also exploring how his work resonates with contemporary themes.
One of the standout sections dives into interpretations of the American flag. Wesselmann’s 1962 collage, Still Life #15, features an obscured flag behind a portrait of George Washington, a bottle of Four Roses whiskey, and a grilled steak—a cheeky nod to American culture. This piece sits in dialogue with works like Jasper Johns’s iconic flag paintings and David Hammons’s African American Flag, highlighting how a single symbol can carry myriad meanings.
Artists like Derrick Adams and Mickalene Thomas bring fresh perspectives to the table. Adams’s Super Nude series reimagines the superhero trope, depicting a Black male figure draped in an American flag cape—a direct reference to Hammons. He delved into Wesselmann’s process, exploring how the late artist fluidly moved between mediums.
Mickalene Thomas connects with Wesselmann through shared themes of desire and the exploration of the female form. While Wesselmann was known for his depictions of white female nudes, he also portrayed Asian and Black figures without exoticism or stereotype. “He was putting the white woman and a Black woman on the same platform of desire,” Thomas notes, appreciating the equal footing.
What’s compelling about “Pop Forever” is how it blurs the lines between past and present. Wesselmann’s embrace of advertising, billboards, and everyday objects feels just as relevant in today’s media-saturated world. His work traversed classical genres—still life, nude, landscape—while pushing boundaries with multimedia elements like light, sound, and even video.
The exhibition doesn’t just look back; it suggests that Pop Art is an ongoing dialogue. By placing Wesselmann’s work alongside contemporary artists from diverse backgrounds, it underscores the movement’s timelessness and adaptability.
So, if you’re in Paris, this is a must-see. It’s not just about revisiting a key figure in art history; it’s about experiencing the ever-evolving conversation that is Pop Art—vibrant, challenging, and very much alive.
