MEL RAMOS

Mel Ramos (b. 1935) is an American Pop artist best known for his female nudes painted alongside brand logos. The artist's coupling of women with familiar products like martini glasses and bananas serves as a commentary on the ways in which capitalism has employed the female body. Born in Sacramento, CA, Ramos like Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol, found inspiration through the comic works Wonder Woman and Superman growing up and later pinup posters. He went on to study art under Wayne Thiebaud at Sacrament State College where he earned both his BA and MA degrees. In 2011, Ramos was the subject of a major show at the Albertina in Vienna. His works are part of the collections at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Lost Angeles, among others. He currently lives and works between Oakland, CA and Horta de San Juan, Spain.