Billy Al Bengston’s years as a professional motorcycle racer profoundly affected his art practice. He excelled at painting bikes, and particularly enjoyed spraying multiple layers of automotive lacquer on their hard metal surfaces. This experience inspired his subsequent work: in 1965 Bengston began denting, hammering, folding, crumpling, and even puncturing aluminum sheets and then spray-painting them, creating a series referred to as “dentos.” Among these is Tom, whose many layers of lacquer suggest dizzying spatial depths, while its high-gloss finish immediately brings the viewer's eye back to the surface.

Exhibition label: Light, Space, Surface: Works from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2021, Carol S. Eliel.