Wes Lang

American, born 1972

Wes Lang, who was employed at a tattoo shop in his youth, draws from a range of influences and sources for his practice, including Philip Guston, Martin Kippenberger, and Cy Twombly. His works are gatherings and reconfigurations of American imagery and iconography, commonly featuring flags, skulls, cowboys, and eagles. He also incorporates clippings of found images from newspapers and pornographic magazines in his work. Lang explains: “I like to take American history and then completely ignore it…It comes out of criticism and great love.” Works like The Promised Land (2005) and Tits and Flags (2008) demonstrate Lang’s ability to reference historical narratives or utopian visions without presenting an explicit narrative in the work itself.