born Nov. 29, 1933, Grand Forks, N.D., U.S.
U.S. painter.
His youthful employment as a billboard painter influenced the enlarged imagery and cool, impersonal style of painting that he developed by the early 1960s. In a typical painting, he juxtaposed imagery from pop culture, advertising, and other mass media using bright colours and a large canvas. This interest in popular culture has led many to define him as a precursor to Pop art . He has also created large works combining lithography, screenprinting, etching, and collage.