b. 1954 -

Kenton Nelson was born in 1954 in Pasadena, CA, to an artistic family. Starting as an illustrator and commercial graphic designer, he eventually grew into a successful painter in the niche Mod genre, as well as an accomplished landscape painter in the Precisionist style. His murals and outdoor art installations currently grace several public spaces in Pasadena. Now known just as Kenton Nelson, the artist still lives in Pasadena.

About Kenton R. Nelson

• Name: Roberto Kenton Nelson


• Alias: Kenton Nelson, R. Kenton Nelson


• Profession: Illustrator, graphic designer and painter, b. 1954 -


• Nationality: American

Biography

Kenton Nelson was born into an artistically inclined family. His grandfather and namesake Roberto Montenegro was an artist in his own right, and was close with Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. After graduating from Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, Nelson worked for 18 years as a designer and illustrator. Later, he found success as a muralist and oil painter who occasionally experimented with new watercolor techniques.

Nelson's style drew on early influences from 20th-century American advertisements and the Art Deco and Art Nouveau movements of the interwar years. Many of his paintings depict iconic elements of mid-century American life, such as beach-goers, suburban neighborhoods and highway overpasses, all in a bold Precisionist style with flat colors and a general lack of texture to achieve an almost cartoonish effect.

Kenton Nelson worked for several years as an art instructor at his old academy, but has now retired. He still resides in Pasadena.

Related Styles

• Precisionism


• American Realism

Highlights and Achievements

• Author of six books about art, including academic works.


• Art featured on the cover of The New Yorker seven times.


• Provided the art for the American Contemporary Ballet's 2013 season.

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