Steven Pohl
AH 101
28OCT17
A Three Dimensional Still Life
Born in 1923, Richard Artschwager was an American painter illustrator, artist, and
sculptor. His most famous works have been closely associated with Pop Art and Minimalism
which is a style derived from modernism and against the idea of abstract expressionism. Despite
earning his bachelors’ degree in Physics, Artschwager had a true passion for art and drawing
ever since he was a child. In 1956 Artschwager began designing and selling modern furniture in
an effort to obtain a modest income. Unfortunately, in 1958 a fire destroyed his entire studio and
all of his work which forced him to accept a loan in order to restore his furniture business. The
artwork that now resides in the Art Institute known as Table With Pink Tablecloth, 1964 was
created by Artschwager. In an interview conducted with Artschwager, he describes his work as
“the way a table with a tablecloth is in a painting, in a still life– a three dimensional still life”. In
