Pioneering artist, Rosalyn Drexler, known for her dynamic painting style in the realm of pop art, passed away at the age of 98.

Rosalyn Drexler, Pop Art Pioneer and Renowned Writer, Passes Away at 98

Rosalyn Drexler, a key figure in the Pop art movement of the 1960s and a celebrated author, has passed away in New York at the age of 98. Born Rosalyn Bronznick in 1937, Drexler's life and art were marked by a quirky, biographical element that mirrored her paintings.

Drexler's artistic journey began in New York, but took a detour when she attended Hunter College for just a year before moving to Berkeley, California. It was here that she and her husband began showing their art together, with Drexler exhibiting assemblages made from street junk.

One of Drexler's early influences was David Smith, who offered positive remarks that encouraged her to continue with sculpture. This praise was instrumental in shaping her career, which would later see her works collected by prestigious institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, and the Whitney Museum.

Drexler's art shares affinities with the works of artists like Andy Warhol, James Rosenquist, Roy Lichtenstein, and Marisol. Her oeuvre often contained a quirkiness similar to her paintings, with a biographical element that made them unique. She frequently worked with ready-made pictures, applying her paint directly onto her images.

However, Drexler's opportunities in the art world remained limited, and she never operated a studio. Despite this, her work has been reappraised, and she appeared in the 2015 Tate Modern exhibition "The World Goes Pop." Raphael Rubenstein, in his review of Drexler's 2016 survey at Brandeis University's Rose Art Museum, praised her use of high-key color and unusual compositional strategies.

Away from the art world, Drexler held various jobs, including that of a masseuse, house cleaner, waitress, and professor. Prior to becoming an artist, she even had a brief career as a professional wrestler, wrestling under the name Rosa Carlo the Mexican Spitfire.

Drexler's writing career was equally illustrious. She penned 10 plays and nine novels, one of which, To Smithereens, was about the New York art scene and was recently republished to critical acclaim. This novel, along with another, was revisited this year, bringing Drexler's literary prowess back into the spotlight.

In the world of literature, Drexler was represented by New York's Garth Greenan Gallery. Her writing often contained the same quirkiness found in her paintings, with a biographical element that added depth to her stories.

Drexler's life was one of perseverance and creativity, marked by a desire to push boundaries and challenge norms. Born with a dream to be a writer, she forged a career in the arts that has left a lasting impact on the world of Pop art. Her work will continue to inspire and captivate audiences for years to come.

Pioneering artist, Rosalyn Drexler, known for her dynamic painting style in the realm of pop art, passed away at the age of 98.