A flamboyant character and a key figure in the Ferus Gallery circle in Los Angeles, Billy Al Bengston is associated with West Coast Pop and best known for spray painting dented sheets of square aluminum with lacquer. These highly finished pieces often featured car and motorcycle motifs, such as the chevron symbol placed at the center of his works, and many include Bengston’s signature sergeant’s stripes, or abstracted images of hearts. His interest in car culture would inspire Judy Chicago, a student of Bengston’s, to attend auto body school and eventually use spray paint techniques.
A flamboyant character and a key figure in the Ferus Gallery circle in Los Angeles, Billy Al Bengston is associated with West Coast Pop and best known for spray painting dented sheets of square aluminum with lacquer. These highly finished pieces often featured car and motorcycle motifs, such as the chevron symbol placed at the center of his works, and many include Bengston’s signature sergeant’s stripes, or abstracted images of hearts. His interest in car culture would inspire Judy Chicago, a student of Bengston’s, to attend auto body school and eventually use spray paint techniques.
