Mel Ramos Superman, 2014 Woodcut

Mel Ramos was born on July 24, 1935 in California, United States of America. From an early age, he devoted himself intensively to art in all its facets and in this way created an extensive and ultimately successful foundation for the future. To this day, Mel Ramos is known internationally for his individual works. His art studies at Sacramento Junior College and Sacramento State College not only taught him the basics of numerous directions, but also provided him with a confident handling of various techniques and forms. After his studies, he devoted himself to Pop Art and succeeded in becoming the most important artist of this art movement.

Today, his works have a very special character compared to those of other artists and ultimately they are once again stories that have shaped society. In 1961, he made his version of Batman, who is still known today. His works are no longer only known for their comic drawings. Rather, the focus of his work to this day is the creation of female superheroes. Wonder Woman introduced him to the depiction of pin-up girls.

This development is not only recognizable, but is a focus of all his works. Mel Ramos developed arrangements from and for advertising on a national and international level. The focus here was on the depiction of provocative female sexuality. To this day, it is hard to tell whether Mel Ramos is using these depictions to denounce a certain exploitation of the female body or whether he is making use of it for his own works. Even though he was one of the best-known artists of the time, it must be remembered that his works were occasionally subjected to a barrage of public criticism at all levels. This is certainly one of the reasons for his popularity.