Hi Hat Dracula
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
lithograph (stone) in light pearly-gray on Copperplate Deluxe paper
Dimensions
image: 41.9 x 67.3 cm (16 1/2 x 26 1/2 in.) sheet: 62.5 x 77.5 cm (24 5/8 x 30 1/2 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Dorothy J. and Benjamin B. Smith
Accession Number
1983.18.293
Art Historical Context
**Hi Hat Dracula** (1968) is a striking lithograph by Billy Al Bengston, key figure in California's vibrant 1960s art scene. Created using traditional stone lithography—a technique prized for its ability to capture subtle tonal gradations and velvety textures—Bengston printed this light pearly-gray image on luxurious Copperplate Deluxe paper. 41.9 x 67.3 cm, the work exemplifies his playful fusion of organic motifs and pop culture whimsy, likely drawing from his signature iris flower studies reimagined with a vampiric twist, evoking Dracula's dramatic silhouette complete with a jaunty "hi hat"...
About the Artist
Billy Al Bengston
Billy Al Bengston, born on June 7, 1934, in Dodge City, Kansas, embodied the sun-soaked, rebellious spirit of postwar Los Angeles after his family relocated there in 1948. His artistic training began at Los Angeles City College in 1952, where he studied ceramics under Bernard Kester. He then pursued painting under Richard Diebenkorn and Saburo Hasegawa at the California College of Arts and Crafts ...