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John Altoon BIOGRAPHY
1925 Los Angeles, California - 1969 Los Angeles, California. Known for: Mod figure, abstraction, illustration.
With energetic abstract expression, an aggressive personality, and reckless life style, John Altoon was a major presence in the 1950 and 60s art scene of Los Angeles that included Robert Irwin, Ed... Read full biography
With energetic abstract expression, an aggressive personality, and reckless life style, John Altoon was a major presence in the 1950 and 60s art scene of Los Angeles that included Robert Irwin, Ed Kienholz and Ed Moses. Artistically he became known for his oil paintings and his influence as an art... Read full biography
With energetic abstract expression, an aggressive personality, and reckless life style, John Altoon was a major presence in the 1950 and 60s art scene of Los Angeles that included Robert Irwin, Ed Kienholz and Ed Moses. Artistically he became known for his oil paintings and his influence as an art instructor. In the magazine "Art in America," February 1999, he was referred to, relative to that era, as "the baddest of the bad boys" [84], one who rode motorcycles at high speeds, drove cars... Read full biography
With energetic abstract expression, an aggressive personality, and reckless life style, John Altoon was a major presence in the 1950 and 60s art scene of Los Angeles that included Robert Irwin, Ed Kienholz and Ed Moses. Artistically he became known for his oil paintings and his influence as an art instructor. In the magazine "Art in America," February 1999, he was referred to, relative to that era, as "the baddest of the bad boys" [84], one who rode motorcycles at high speeds, drove cars blindfolded, and also suffered from schizophrenia. He grew up in Los Angeles and after high school graduation, served in the Navy as a radar technician in the Pacific during World War II. At the end of the war, he used the GI Bill to go to art school and... Read full biography
With energetic abstract expression, an aggressive personality, and reckless life style, John Altoon was a major presence in the 1950 and 60s art scene of Los Angeles that included Robert Irwin, Ed Kienholz and Ed Moses. Artistically he became known for his oil paintings and his influence as an art instructor. In the magazine "Art in America," February 1999, he was referred to, relative to that era, as "the baddest of the bad boys" [84], one who rode motorcycles at high speeds, drove cars blindfolded, and also suffered from schizophrenia. He grew up in Los Angeles and after high school graduation, served in the Navy as a radar technician in the Pacific during World War II. At the end of the war, he used the GI Bill to go to art school and lived and worked as a commercial illustrator in New York City. During this time, he also created large gestural paintings, as a result of... Read full biography
Artist Biography
Biography page for John Altoon ((1925 - 1969)), known for Mod figure, abstraction, illustration. Showing 1 biographical entries and 0 sample artworks.
John Altoon - Artist Info
About John Altoon
Biography
With energetic abstract expression, an aggressive personality, and reckless life style, John Altoon was a major presence in the 1950 and 60s art scene of Los Angeles that included Robert Irwin, Ed Kienholz and Ed Moses. Artistically he became known for his oil paintings and his influence as an art instructor.
In the magazine "Art in America," February 1999, he was referred to, relative to that era, as "the baddest of the bad boys" [84], one who rode motorcycles at high speeds, drove cars blindfolded, and also suffered from schizophrenia.
He grew up in Los Angeles and after high school graduation, served in the Navy as a radar technician in the Pacific during World War II. At the end of the war, he used the GI Bill to go to ar...But wait, there's more...
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