Salle, David

Salle, David, 1952–, American painter, b. Norman, Okla. One of the artists whose reputation reached its peak during the 1980s, he studied at the California Institute of the Arts (1970–75) and settled in New York City in 1975. Largely due to its eclecticism, his work has been widely referred to as postmodern. Typical of Salle's style are his deadpan use of imagery and techniques appropriated from Old Master and modernist works and of apparently unrelated images (sometimes highly erotic figures of women) superimposed on one another. In addition, his usually large canvases often represent a mixture of figuration and abstraction and of painting and collage techniques. Salle is also a sculptor, photographer, stage designer, and film director.

Bibliography

See his interviews (1987) and critical reflections (1994); J. Kardon, David Salle (1986).

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Salle, David (1952–  ) artist; born in Norman, Okla. Son of Russian immigrants, raised in comfortable circumstances in Wichita, Kans., he studied at the California Institute of the Arts and began presenting one-man shows in 1975. His large multimedia paintings, characterized by startling juxtapositions, drew mixed critical reception from the start. He became something of an artist/celebrity during the 1980s.