Artists should, by definition, dare to challenge the status quo. Think of some of the greatest artworks in history and you’ll no doubt find they all challenged norms and conventions in some way.
Every once in a while we like to highlight the work of an artist who left an indelible mark on art history. Sometimes their oil paintings left such a significant impact that they became household names: Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh and Da Vinci are some examples of superstar artists. Others didn’t have such a large impact, but nevertheless left changes that were worthy of examination in their own right. Take, for example, William N. Copley, born January 24, 1919 to May 7, 1996. Copley, more popularly known as CPLY, was a writer, painter, collector, publisher.
Copley was born in New York City in 1919 and experienced a touch of fate when he was adopted by millionaire publisher Ira C. Copley and his wife, who owned 16 newspaper companies in San Diego and Chicago. He thus received an elite education at Phillips Andover and Yale University, which was briefly interrupted by the war. Upon returning from WWII, he worked as a reporter, and then began experimenting in art after meeting John Ployardt, an animator at Walt Disney Studios who was his brother-in-law. From this connection Copley was introduced to painting, particularly Surrealism.
Copley painted part-time as he ran his father’s business and his own network of galleries. His oeuvre can be split into decades of similar motifs and styles. In the early 1950s, his work dealt with satirical images of typical American symbols; in the late 50s and 60s it moved to more Pop Art styled Cheap Oil Paintings and presentation as the artist found inspiration in the likes of Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein.
Every once in a while we like to highlight the work of an artist who left an indelible mark on art history. Sometimes their oil paintings left such a significant impact that they became household names: Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh and Da Vinci are some examples of superstar artists. Others didn’t have such a large impact, but nevertheless left changes that were worthy of examination in their own right. Take, for example, William N. Copley, born January 24, 1919 to May 7, 1996. Copley, more popularly known as CPLY, was a writer, painter, collector, publisher.
Copley was born in New York City in 1919 and experienced a touch of fate when he was adopted by millionaire publisher Ira C. Copley and his wife, who owned 16 newspaper companies in San Diego and Chicago. He thus received an elite education at Phillips Andover and Yale University, which was briefly interrupted by the war. Upon returning from WWII, he worked as a reporter, and then began experimenting in art after meeting John Ployardt, an animator at Walt Disney Studios who was his brother-in-law. From this connection Copley was introduced to painting, particularly Surrealism.
Copley painted part-time as he ran his father’s business and his own network of galleries. His oeuvre can be split into decades of similar motifs and styles. In the early 1950s, his work dealt with satirical images of typical American symbols; in the late 50s and 60s it moved to more Pop Art styled Cheap Oil Paintings and presentation as the artist found inspiration in the likes of Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein.
