| John Stango | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1958 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Nationality | American (United States) |
| Field | Printmaker, Artist, Painting |
| Movement | Pop Art |
John Stango (born August 9, 1958) is an American pop artist. [1]
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Born and raised in working-class Philadelphia, Frances Elaine Rockwell, Stango's mother, was a painter. He attended Tyler School of Art at Temple University and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and Graphic Design. After graduation, Stango was hired by Macy's and Bloomingdale's department stores as a visual merchandiser and display artist. Later, Stango began to create silk screen t-shirts. Eventually he turned his attention and energy to painting full time. [2][3]
Currently he works out of a warehouse outside of Philadelphia. Stango paints in the vein of such artists as Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein, LeRoy Neiman, and Peter Max. Newspapers, retro advertising, pop icons, B-movies, mid-century modernism, magazines, noir films, vintage signage and pop-culture inspire his works. Batman and Elvis, Audrey Hepburn and Lucky Strike, and Mickey Mouse and Heineken are some of the well-known subjects of Stango's paintings.[2][4][5]
His paintings have been shown in galleries across America, as well as in other countries including Sweden and Japan.[6] His work has been purchased by a number of notable individuals such as Nicole Miller,[7] Allen Iverson,[8] and Governor Ed Rendell,[9] and Swizz Beatz.[10] In addition to selling his art, John also engages in philanthropy, using his paintings and proceeds to benefit charities. [11][12][13][14]
Since December of 2009, John has focused on a new Stewardess series.[13] These works depict retro stewardess, employing such titles as "The Stewardess, Playgirl After Dark". Most are titled after current day stewardess, notably Wendy, Judi, Ginger, Mimi, Buttercup, Kori, and Patrick (depicted as a female in the painting and dedicated to a cross-dressing steward[ess]). Judi was painted in honor of Judi Martino, a true '50s and '60s stewardess and the wife of singer Al Martino. John plans to continue this series especially following the popularity of ABC's Pan Am.[4]