Artists

View With Images

Arakawa

Conrad Atkinson

Eleanor Antin

Ida Applebroog

Alexander Brodsky

Brodsky & Utkin

Joseph Beuys

Cassils

Keith Cottingham

Nancy Chunn

Eric Dyer

Milena Dopitová

Carl Fudge

Terry Fox

Yishay Garbasz

Cameron Hayes

Christine Hill

Helen Mayer & Newton Harrison

Kelly Heaton

Margaret Harrison

Shih Chieh Huang

Simone Jones

Brian Knep

Komar & Melamid

Peggy Jarrell Kaplan

Vitaly Komar

Kim Levin

McCarren/Fine

Pepón Osorio

The Oakes Twins

Bruce Pearson

Panamarenko

Fredric Riskin

Richard Ross

Diemut Strebe

Edwin Schlossberg

Federico Solmi

Jason Salavon

Todd Siler

Mierle Laderman Ukeles

Sam Van Aken

Allan Wexler

Andy Warhol

Clemens Weiss

Hannah Wilke

Gil Yefman

The Petty Girl

George Petty

Jun 28 – Jul 25, 1985

George Petty

"Oh yuh would, would yuh?", 1935

Description

In 1933, the first issue of Esquire magazine carried the first two Petty Girl cartoons, which were an immediate success. By 1935, while still producing cartoons for every issue of Esquire, George Petty had acquired large advertising accounts like Old Gold Cigarettes, Jantzen and the Ice Capades.

At first, the Petty Girl was the darling of the fraternity men. Then she became the most famous pinup of World War II. In the 1940's, due to an economic dispute with Esquire, the Vargas girl (based on the Petty Girl) replaced the Petty Girl in the magazine. In the 50's, more explicit and hardcore pornography began to make the Petty Girl look dated. She did survive and make infrequent appearances in one form or another up until 1973.

The Petty Girl has become true Americana, and perhaps this is a proper moment to evaluate her impact and meaning in our culture. This retrospective contains approximately 100 original works in watercolors, airbrush and collages by George Petty.