RAMOS, MEL
1935 Sacramento, CA /USA - 2018 Oakland, CA /USA
Title: The Pause that Refreshes.
Date: 2007.
Technique: Synthetic resin, polychrome.
Measurement: 75 x 75 x 18cm.
Notation: Signed and numbered under glaze, bottom right of the figure: Mel Ramos AP 2/4.
The work is one of 4 artist's proofs outside the edition of 8.
Provenance:
- Galerie Ernst Hilger, Vienna
- Private collection, Austria
- Critical examination of the connection between eroticism and consumption
- Successful transfer of his 'Commercial Pin-Ups' into three-dimensionality
- Attractive combination of hyper-realistic body depiction with graphic advertising elements
Born in California in 1935, Mel Ramos is regarded as one of the main representatives of American Pop Art. As a student of Wayne Thiebaud, Ramos was influenced by the 'Bay Area Figurative School', which from the 1950s onwards set itself apart from Abstract Expressionism, which was prevalent in the USA at the time. Ramos initially painted comic book heroes such as Batman and Superman before developing his iconic theme from 1963 onwards: the combination of female eroticism and consumer aesthetics. His 'commercial pin-ups' - women in seductive poses on branded goods - parodied the advertising strategies of consumer society. In later works, Ramos quotes classical nude painting and replaces its subtle eroticism with pop-cultural sex appeal. Alongside Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, he established himself as a central figure in Pop Art. Museum retrospectives at the Villa Stuck in Munich (2010), followed by a comprehensive exhibition at the Albertina in Vienna (2011), also honoured his work in Europe.
With 'The Pause that Refreshes', Mel Ramos transfers his iconic motif of 'Commercial Pin-Ups' into three-dimensionality. The resin work on offer shows the back view of a naked female figure lolling in front of an iconic Coca-Cola advertising space. Her head is tilted to one side while she holds up a few strands of her blonde hair with both hands. The bright red of the beverage logo forms a strong contrast to the light, skin-coloured depiction of the figure. The lavender-coloured frame lends the work additional visual tension and emphasises the central scene vividly. The composition combines hyper-realistic depictions of the body with the two-dimensional aesthetics of advertising, emphasising Ramos' critical examination of the connection between eroticism and consumption. The title quotes a classic Coca-Cola advertising slogan and emphasises the ambivalence of the motif.
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Lucio Fontana 
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