Famous American Artists
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America, the land of opportunities, has been the mecca of world power. Its nationals have made the country rank in the top spot in all the fields, be it science and technology or discovery and invention, leaders and revolutionaries or military and services, journalism and philosophy or activists and academicians. And in the field of art too, America ranks amongst the world leaders. Painting, sculpting, illustrating, photography, ceramics, assemblage painting, pottery - Americans have made their worth count in every form of art. Decade after decade, the country has given the world some of the world-class artists who have redefined the field of art through their exemplary work and talent. Historically, American artists have succeeded in installing a unique style or character into their work, thus changing the panorama of the world of art completely. The overwhelming beauty of their canvases has left a lasting imprint on the minds of millions of people around the globe. What’s more, their exquisite art has deeply influenced future generations of artists who have equivalently produced some of the world-class works. With this section, find out in details about the life and works of famous American artists. The magnificence and splendour of their works is sure to leave you spellbound!
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1
Andy Warhol(Visual Artist & Film Director Who was a Leading Figure in the Visual Art Movement Known as Pop Art)
Birthdate: August 6, 1928
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: February 22, 1987
Andy Warhol was an artist and filmmaker who played a key role in the visual art movement. Thanks to his extensive body of work, he has been the subject of various films, books, and retrospective exhibitions. Described as the bellwether of the art market, some of Warhol's works are among the most expensive paintings ever sold.
2
Jean-Michel Basquiat(American Artist Who Became Popular During the 1980s as Part of the Neo-Expressionism Movement)
Birthdate: December 22, 1960
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: August 12, 1988
Jean-Michel Basquiat was an American artist whose legacy has had an influence upon fashion, film, music, and literature. He serves as an inspiration to street artists as he started off as one, painting graffiti on buildings. After his death, at the age of 27, the value of his work has increased; in 2017, one of his paintings sold for a record $110.5 million.
Birthdate: March 9, 1980
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Las Vegas
American actor, Matthew Gray Gubler, is best known for playing the character of Dr Spencer Reid in the popular and acclaimed television series Criminal Minds. He has also acted in films like 500 Days of Summer, Suburban Gothic and How to Be a Serial Killer. He won a Daytime Emmy Award for his role in the television series, The Beauty Inside.
4
Zelda Fitzgerald(Socialite & Referred to as 'The first American Flapper' by Her Husband 'F. Scott Fitzgerald')
Birthdate: July 24, 1900
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Montgomery, Alabama, United States
Died: March 10, 1948
Zelda Fitzgerald was a painter, socialite, and novelist. Along with her husband Scott Fitzgerald, Zelda became a prominent personality of the Jazz Age. Renowned for her high spirits and beauty, she was named the first American flapper by Scott. For her work as a novelist and painter, Fitzgerald was posthumously made an inductee to the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame.
5
Kim Novak(Actress Known for Her Hit Films: 'Vertigo', ‘Picnic’, ‘The Man with the Golden Arm’ and ‘Pal Joey’)
Birthdate: February 13, 1933
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Kim Novak is best known as Madeleine Elster/Judy Barton from Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo. The two-time Golden Globe-winning actor also starred in movies such as The Mirror Crack'd and The Man with the Golden Arm, and the series Falcon Crest. She quit acting after an unpleasant experience while shooting for Liebestraum.
6
Roy Lichtenstein(American Pop Artist Who Became a Major Figure in the New Art Movement During the 1960s)
Birthdate: October 27, 1923
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Died: September 29, 1997
Roy Lichtenstein was an American pop artist who became a major figure in the new art movement during the 1960s alongside artists like Andy Warhol and James Rosenquist. Among his most famous works are Drowning Girl and Whaam! Roy Lichtenstein was honored with the prestigious National Medal of the Arts in 1995.
7
Tom Franco(American Artist, Actor and Founder of the ‘Firehouse Art Collective’)
Birthdate: April 14, 1980
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Palo Alto, California, United States
Tom Franco is an American artist and actor. He is credited with founding the Firehouse Art Collective, an art gallery in Berkeley, California. The younger brother of actor and filmmaker, James Franco, Tom Franco followed in the footsteps of his brother to become an actor before exploring his skills as an artist.
Birthdate: May 10, 1971
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota
Leslie Stefanson is an American model, artist, and actress. She achieved popularity after playing important roles in popular films, such as The General's Daughter. A multi-talented personality, Leslie Stefanson also makes terracotta and bronze sculptures in New York City and Los Angeles.
Birthdate: March 7, 1958
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: New Jersey, United States
Self-taught photographer Susan Mikula is known for using old Polaroids and pinhole cameras to create her masterpieces. She was an accountant earlier and has also worked for the U.S. consulate in Mexico. The LGBT icon is in a long-term relationship with her partner, journalist and TV personality Rachel Maddow.
10
Martin Mull(Comedian, Actor, Painter, and Recording Artist Known for His Role in the TV Series ‘Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman’)
Birthdate: August 18, 1943
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Actor/comedian Martin Mull soared to fame with the soap Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and its spin-off, Fernwood 2 Night. He also delivered an Emmy-nominated performance in Veep and voiced a role in Danny Phantom. An avid painter, too, he has held various exhibitions and released a book of his paintings.
11
Kari Byron
(Television presenter, Artist)
Birthdate: December 18, 1974
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: California
12
Grace Slick(Retired Singer-Songwriter - Was A Key Figure in San Francisco's Early 'Psychedelic Music' Scene in the Mid-1960s)
Birthdate: October 30, 1939
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Highland Park, Illinois, United States
Grace Slick is a retired singer-songwriter. Slick played an important role in the psychedelic music scene that flourished in San Francisco during the mid-1960s. One of the earliest female rock stars, Slick played a key role in the development of rock music during the 1960s. She was named among the Greatest Women of Rock N Roll by VH1 in 1999.
Birthdate: September 15, 1927
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Nashville, Tennessee
Birthdate: April 27, 1791
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States
Died: April 2, 1872
15
John Singer Sargent(American Expatriate Artist and One of the Leading Portrait Painters of His Generation)
Birthdate: January 12, 1856
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Florence, Italy
Died: April 14, 1925
John Singer Sargent, an artist active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, was considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation." Prolific in his output, he created more than 2,000 watercolors and around 900 oil paintings. He also made numerous sketches and charcoal drawings. He painted with remarkable technical acumen and was internationally known for his expertise.
16
Cherie Currie
(Actor, Singer, Wood carver, Musician, Songwriter, Artist, Film producer, Television actor)
Birthdate: November 30, 1959
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Los Angeles
17
Charles Addams
(Draughtsperson, Illustrator, Artist, Painter, Writer)
Birthdate: January 7, 1912
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Westfield
Died: September 29, 1988
Mostly known as a cartoonist for The New Yorker, Charles Addams was known for including dark humor in his works. Also known by his pseudonym, Chas Addams, he gained fame for his cartoons about a family of ghosts, which later inspired The Addams Family series of the 1960s.
Birthdate: July 12, 1917
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania,, United States
Died: January 16, 2009
Andrew Wyeth was a visual artist and one of the best-known American artists of the mid-20th century. Primarily a realist painter, Wyeth worked predominantly in a regionalist style. Andrew Wyeth was the recipient of several prestigious awards, such as the National Medal of Arts and the Congressional Gold Medal.
Birthdate: November 19, 1963
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: San Francisco, California, United States
20
Jasper Johns
(Painter, Sculptor, Costume designer)
Birthdate: May 15, 1930
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Augusta
Presidential Medal-winning artist Jasper Johns is best known for his contribution to the pop art movement. His paintings revolve around subjects such as flags, numbers, and letters, whereas he has also gained fame for his cast sculpture art such as Painted Bronze. He also once experimented by attaching strings to his art.
Birthdate: May 22, 1844
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Allegheny
Died: June 14, 1926
22
Robert De Niro Sr.
(Abstract Expressionist Painter & Father of Robert De Niro)
Birthdate: May 3, 1922
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Syracuse, New York, United States
Died: May 3, 1993
Robert De Niro Sr. was an American abstract expressionist artist best known as the father of the famous actor Robert De Niro. De Niro Sr. exhibited his paintings in museums and galleries across the United States of America. He also taught at several art schools including the New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting and Sculpture.
Birthdate: October 22, 1925
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Port Arthur, Texas
Died: May 12, 2008
24
Alexander Calder
(Sculptor, Painter)
Birthdate: July 22, 1898
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Lawnton
Died: November 11, 1976
Alexander Calder was an American sculptor best remembered for his innovative kinetic sculptures designed to use either motor, air currents, or other forces of nature. A multi-talented personality, Calder was also known for his paintings, miniatures, prints, jewelry design, theater set design, political posters, and tapestries and rugs. In 1977, he was honored with the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom.
25
Gloria Vanderbilt(Artist and Fashion Designer Best Remembered for her Custody Battle)
Birthdate: February 20, 1924
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, United States
Died: June 17, 2019
Gloria Vanderbilt was an American fashion designer, actress, author, and socialite. As a child, she was subjected to a child custody trial, which the press named trial of the century due to its high-profile nature. As a designer, Vanderbilt is credited with developing and popularizing designer blue jeans. She also launched a line of household goods and perfumes.
26
Pendleton Ward
(Television producer, Animator, Screenwriter)
Birthdate: July 8, 1982
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: San Antonio
Birthdate: October 5, 1959
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Athens
Maya Lin is an American sculptor and designer whose competition-winning design for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial earned her national recognition when she was still an undergraduate. Her life and career inspired an Oscar-winning documentary titled Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision. Maya Lin has won prestigious awards, such as the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Birthdate: July 5, 1940
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Monroe, Washington, U.S.
Died: August 19, 2021
29
John James Audubon(US Artist and Ornithologist Known for His Drawings of North American Birds)
Birthdate: April 26, 1785
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Les Cayes
Died: January 27, 1851
American artist and ornithologist John James Audubon is remembered mostly for his illustrations of North American birds. Born as an illegitimate child in France, he later moved to the US and then to Canada, for business, but ended up documenting birds. His best-known work is the pioneering ornithological work The Birds of America.
30
Cindy Sherman
(Photographer, Film director)
Birthdate: January 19, 1954
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Glen Ridge
31
Henry Darger
(Novelist, Artist, and Writer)
Birthdate: April 12, 1892
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: April 13, 1973
Henry Darger was an American novelist, artist, and writer. He achieved posthumous fame when a 15,145-page fantasy novel of his was discovered after his death. Along with the novel, watercolor illustrations and several hundred drawings for the story was discovered. Henry Darger's artwork is now considered a fine example of outsider art.
32
Swizz Beatz
(Record producer, Entrepreneur, Painter, Rapper, Singer, Businessperson, Songwriter)
Birthdate: September 13, 1978
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: New York City
33
Rick Derringer
(Singer, Artist, Composer, Guitarist)
Birthdate: August 5, 1947
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Fort Recovery
34
Bobbi Brown
(Make-up artist, Businessperson)
Birthdate: April 14, 1957
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Chicago
Birthdate: July 9, 1994
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Mount Morris
36
Frank Frazetta
(Renowned Illustrator of the 20th Century Popularly Known as the 'Godfather of Fantasy Art')
Birthdate: February 9, 1928
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: May 10, 2010
Frank Frazetta was an American science fiction and fantasy artist remembered for his work on comic books, LP record album covers, paperback book covers, posters, and paintings among other media. Nicknamed the Godfather of fantasy art, Frazetta is also considered one of the 20th century's best-known illustrators. He was honored at the World Fantasy Convention with a Life Achievement Award.
37
Isamu Noguchi
(American Landscape Architect and Artist Who Designed the Modern Piece of Furniture Known as the 'Noguchi Table')
Birthdate: November 17, 1904
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Died: December 30, 1988
Isamu Noguchi was an American landscape architect and artist best remembered for designing the iconic Noguchi table. His sculptures are credited with bridging East and West and some of his works are considered landmarks of 20th-century art. In 1982, he won the Edward MacDowell Medal. In 1987, he received the National Medal of Arts for his contribution to the arts.
Birthdate: September 20, 1941
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Tacoma, Washington, United States
39
Carmine Giovinazzo
(Actor)
Birthdate: August 24, 1973
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Richmond [now Staten Island], New York City, New York, USA
40
Grandma Moses
(Painter, Illustrator)
Birthdate: September 7, 1860
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: New York
Died: December 13, 1961
Anna Mary Robertson, better known as Grandma Moses, revolutionized American folk art with her iconic depictions of American rural life. After spending 15 years of her life working as a housekeeper, she deviated toward embroidery. A bout of arthritis made her switch to painting in her late 70s.
41
Grant Wood
(Former painter particularly well known for American Gothic (1930), which has become an iconic example of early 20th-century American art)
Birthdate: February 13, 1891
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Anamosa, Iowa, United States
Died: February 12, 1942
42
Stanford White
(Architect, Painter)
Birthdate: November 9, 1853
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: New York City
Died: June 25, 1906
Stanford White was an American architect who designed several important monuments including the Washington Square Arch. He also helped construct Nikola Tesla's Wardenclyffe Tower, which happens to be his last design. Although White was an influential and prominent designer of his time, he is best remembered for his illicit relationship with Evelyn Nesbit which has inspired several works of art.
43
Cy Twombly(American Painter, Sculptor and Photographer Known for His Graffiti-Style Paintings and for Large-Scale Works)
Birthdate: April 25, 1928
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Lexington, Virginia, United States
Died: July 5, 2011
Cy Twombly was an American sculptor, painter, and photographer. Although he wasn’t popular among the critics, Twombly's works influenced several younger artists like Francesco Clemente, Anselm Kiefer, and Julian Schnabel. Today, his works are preserved in many museums globally, including the Tate Modern in London, the Menil Collection in Houston, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
44
Nehemiah Persoff
(Painter)
Birthdate: August 2, 1919
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Jerusalem, Israel
Nehemiah Persoff is a retired actor and painter. In an extensive career spanning over half a century, he appeared in more than 200 films, TV shows, and stage productions. As a young man, he served in the US Army. He then began his acting career in the New York theater and started acting in films and TV shows as well.
45
Julian Schnabel
(Film director, Screenwriter, Painter)
Birthdate: October 26, 1951
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: New York City
Birthdate: February 28, 1977
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Birthdate: February 18, 1848
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: January 17, 1933
48
Devendra Banhart
(American Singer-Songwriter and Visual Artist and a Pioneer of Psychedelic Folk Music)
Birthdate: May 30, 1981
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Houston, Texas, United States
Born in the US, to a Venezuelan mother and an American father, American singer-songwriter Devendra Banhart grew up to be a major pillar of the New Weird America movement of psychedelic folk music. He is known for his lo-fi recordings and is also a talented visual artist who experiments with mixed media.
49
Virginia Admiral
(Painter)
Birthdate: February 4, 1915
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Oregon
Died: July 20, 2000
50
Joe Shuster
(Comic Book Artist Best Known for Co-creating the DC Comics Character 'Superman')
Birthdate: July 10, 1914
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Died: July 30, 1992
Joe Shuster was a comic book artist best remembered for co-creating one of the most popular comic book characters, Superman. Throughout his life, Shuster was involved in several legal battles over the ownership of the character. He was inducted into Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1992 and 1993 respectively.