Artist Pubs

John Altoon

John Altoon (1925 - 1969) was active/lived in New York, California.  John Altoon is 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 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 his exposure to the New York School of Abstract Expressionists. Subsequently he spent a year in Fra   ...  [Displaying 1000 of 4622 characters.]  Artist bio

Artist auction records

.  askART's database currently holds 212 auction lots for John Altoon (of which 177 auction records sold and 0 are upcoming at auction.)

Artist artworks for sale and wanted

.  There are 0 artworks for sale on our website by galleries and art dealers . There are 2 galleries and art dealers listing works of art by John Altoon as either "Wanted" or "For Sale" .

Research resources

.  askART lists John Altoon in 0 of its research Essays. John Altoon has 10 artist signature examples available in our database.

Similar artists

.  There are 24 similar (related) artists for John Altoon available:    Bruce Guldner Conner,  John McLaughlin,  Hassel Smith,  John Harvey McCracken,  Jay DeFeo,  Frederick Hammersley,  Wallace Berman,  Larry Stuart Bell,  Kenneth Price,  John Saccaro,  De Wain Valentine,  Lynda Benglis,  Frank Lobdell,  William Theophilus Brown,  Ruth Lanier Asawa,  Richard Art Hambleton,  Robert Walter Irwin,  Billy Al Bengston,  Mark Flood,  Nate Lowman,  George Herms,  Craig Kauffman,  Lucas Samaras,  Karl Stanley Benjamin