John Altoon

John Altoon (1925, 1969) was an American abstract expressionist painter and draftsman based in Los Angeles, widely regarded as a pivotal figure in the development of the California art scene. Known for his energetic, biomorphic drawings and paintings that blended surrealism with abstract expressionism, his work often featured fluid, erotic, and humorous forms rendered with spontaneous line work. Despite his tragically short career cut short by his death at 43, he was enormously influential among his peers and is considered one of the most gifted artists to emerge from the Ferus Gallery circle.