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William N. Copley

American • 1919-1996

Biography

William N. Copley, also known by the name of CPLY, drew attention to himself in the late 1940s by fusing elements of Surrealism and Pop Art. Copley focused on symbols of American pop culture—staples of American society including pin-up girls, cowboys and the flag—and transformed them into more accessible, universal icons that could appeal to both men and women without bias.

In the '70s, Copley distinguished himself from the rest of the Surrealists by attempting to represent the tumultuous relationship between erotic and pornographic symbolism. He celebrated the female body, sexual freedom and, most of all, the promiscuity of America.

Insights

Copley features in major private and public institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art, Whitney Museum, The Menil Collection, Stedelijk Museum and many more.
Copley was also an entrepreneur. He opened his own gallery in 1948 in Beverly Hills.
Man Ray was one of Copley's influences who pushed him to start making his own art.

"If you have a drawing and the drawing isn't perfect, you have a perfect drawing. If you start a painting, the painting will not be perfect until it is perfect."

Recent William N. Copley headlines, Powered by Articker

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31 March 2020 | Apollo 
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Sex and the city – William N. Copley in New York
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20 March 2020 | Juxtapoz Magazine 
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"I’d Been Born In That Town But Didn’t Remember It": William N. Copley's "The New York Years"
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4 March 2020 | Frieze 
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William N. Copley’s Battle of the Sexes
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14 December 2016 | Mousse Magazine 
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William N. Copley at Fondazione Prada, Milan
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27 October 2016 | Arts Summary 
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William N. Copley at Fondazione Prada Milano, through January 8, 2017

Past Lots

18
William N. Copley
Untitled
Estimate $10,000 - 15,000
Sold for $15,240
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214No Reserve
William N. Copley
Man and Woman
Estimate £400 - 600
Sold for £2,394
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239
William N. Copley
Belgian Flag
Estimate £50,000 - 70,000
Sold for £63,000
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240
William N. Copley
Untitled (A Collection of 22 Sketches for William N. Copley's Flags Series)
Estimate £15,000 - 20,000
Sold for £20,160
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265No Reserve
William N. Copley
Man and Woman
Estimate £200 - 400
Sold for £3,024
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230No Reserve
William N. Copley
Man and Woman
Estimate £200 - 400
Sold for £126
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24No Reserve
William N. Copley
Man and Woman
Estimate $500 - 800
Sold for $625
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333
William N. Copley
Woman Taken in Adultery
Estimate $1,500 - 2,500
Sold for $4,000
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334
William N. Copley
Untitled
Estimate $1,500 - 2,500
Sold for $10,625
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233No Reserve
William N. Copley
Man and Woman
Estimate $500 - 800
Sold for $438
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140
William N. Copley
The Conformist
Estimate £40,000 - 60,000
Sold for £75,000
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51
William N. Copley
Untitled
Estimate £20,000 - 30,000
Sold for £40,000
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171
William N. Copley
Lest We Forget
Estimate £20,000 - 30,000
Sold for £25,000
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178
William N. Copley
Swan Lake
Estimate £30,000 - 40,000
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221
William N. Copley
The 69 Steps
Estimate £20,000 - 30,000
Sold for £52,500
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149
William N. Copley
Damn These Birds
Estimate $8,000 - 12,000
Sold for $8,125
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244
William N. Copley
That's My Dad
Estimate $25,000 - 35,000
Sold for $92,500
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180
William N. Copley
S.M.S. (Shit Must Stop), The Letter Edged in Black Press
Estimate $3,000 - 4,000
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185
William N. Copley
Man and Woman
Estimate $400 - 600
Sold for $875
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