Skip to main content

Roy De Forest Art

American, 1930-2007
Roy De Forest (1930–2007) was an American painter associated with the Bay Area Funk Art movement, known for his exuberant, imaginative compositions that blend figuration, fantasy, and humor. Based primarily in Northern California, De Forest developed a highly distinctive visual language populated by stylized animals, hybrid creatures, and symbolic forms set within vibrant, often surreal landscapes. His work is characterized by intricate patterning, bright, saturated color, and a playful yet deeply personal iconography. Dogs appear frequently as recurring motifs—sometimes as companions, sometimes as alter egos—reflecting themes of loyalty, identity, and the subconscious. While his imagery can appear whimsical at first glance, De Forest’s compositions often contain layered narratives and references to mythology, dreams, and human psychology. De Forest was also an influential educator, teaching at the University of California, Davis, where he was part of a generation of artists who helped define the experimental and irreverent spirit of West Coast art in the postwar period. His work stands in contrast to the dominant New York abstraction of the time, embracing instead a more narrative, idiosyncratic, and expressive approach. Today, Roy De Forest’s paintings and prints are held in major museum collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. His legacy remains central to the development of Funk Art and the broader history of American figurative painting. Roy De Forest, Bay Area Funk Art, American painter, California art, UC Davis artist, postwar American art, figurative expressionism, West Coast art movement, contemporary American painting, narrative art, surreal figuration, modern American artist, funk movement art, symbolic imagery, colorful painting dog motif artwork, whimsical figurative painting, fantasy landscape, bright color composition, surreal narrative scene, patterned surface painting, hybrid creatures imagery, symbolic animals, playful abstraction, detailed line work, imaginative composition, expressive figuration, dreamlike environment, mythological references, decorative painting
to
1
6
5
5
4
1
1
Dogman and Indian

Dogman and Indian

By Roy De Forest

Located in Lyons, CO

Hand colored lithograph/painted frame, Edition30 Roy De Forest was one of the preeminent artists of the California Bay area. Usually associated with the "Funk" art movement, De Forest, with appealing irreverence, mades paintings, drawings and sculpture of a wild world of weird humans and amazing beady-eyed dogs. De Forest made three prints at Shark's; his first a woodcut, "Van Gogh in the Tropics" in 1999, "Ode to Rin Tin Tin...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Roy De Forest Art

Materials

Lithograph

Untitled (Postwar, Figurative Expressionism, West Coast, ~44% OFF - RARE FIND)
Untitled (Postwar, Figurative Expressionism, West Coast, ~44% OFF - RARE FIND)

Untitled (Postwar, Figurative Expressionism, West Coast, ~44% OFF - RARE FIND)

By Roy De Forest

Located in Kansas City, MO

Roy De Forest Untitled Original Lithograph on Gray Paper Year: 1985 Edition: 4 of 20 Paper Size: 28 x 39 inches (71.12 × 99.06 cm) Signed and numbered by the artist Gallery-issued C...

Category

1980s Modern Roy De Forest Art

Materials

Lithograph

Taylor Family
Taylor Family

Taylor Family

By Roy De Forest

Located in Hollywood, FL

Artist: Roy De Forest Title: Taylor Family Size: 29.5 x 41 Inches Medium: Acrylic, pastel, charcoal, ink, pencil and glitter on paper, in artist's frame Edition: Original Year: 1995 Notes: Hand Signed and Dated (Twice, Upper Center Sheet and Lower Right Mount) Sold in the Original Artist Made Frame, As Is. Roy De Forest arrived in San Francisco in 1950 to enroll at the California School of Fine Arts (CSFA). He later went on to teach at the University of California, Davis, where he dedicated nearly three decades of his career. This move to the Bay Area, far removed from the art epicenter of New York, played a significant role in shaping an artistic movement known as "funk," a term coined by Peter Selz of the University of California's Berkeley Art Museum in 1967. This aesthetic celebrated the unconventional, "lowbrow," and seemingly unsophisticated aspects of art. Notably, artists like Jim Nutt...

Category

1990s Folk Art Roy De Forest Art

Materials

Charcoal, Pastel, Glitter, Ink, Acrylic, Archival Paper

Untitled Signed lithograph on Arches paper by world famous dog artist, unique TP
Untitled Signed lithograph on Arches paper by world famous dog artist, unique TP

Untitled Signed lithograph on Arches paper by world famous dog artist, unique TP

By Roy De Forest

Located in New York, NY

ROY DE FOREST Untitled, 1981 Lithograph on Arches paper with four deckled edges. 22 1/2 × 30 inches Hand signed and annotated Trial Proof, aside from the regular edition of 60 Unfra...

Category

1980s Contemporary Roy De Forest Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Pencil, Graphite, Lithograph

Dogs at Campfire, Surrealist Lithograph by Roy De Forest
Dogs at Campfire, Surrealist Lithograph by Roy De Forest

Dogs at Campfire, Surrealist Lithograph by Roy De Forest

By Roy De Forest

Located in Long Island City, NY

Roy De Forest, American (1930 - 2007) - Dogs at Campfire, Year: circa 1980, Medium: Lithograph on Arches, signed and numbered in pencil, Edition: Shop Proof, Size: 18 x 23 in. (4...

Category

1980s Surrealist Roy De Forest Art

Materials

Lithograph

Walking, Contemporary Lithograph by Roy de Forest
Walking, Contemporary Lithograph by Roy de Forest

Walking, Contemporary Lithograph by Roy de Forest

By Roy De Forest

Located in Long Island City, NY

Artist: Roy De Forest, American (1930 - 2007) Title: Walking Year: 1987 Medium: Lithograph on Arches, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 100 Size: 24.5 x 31 in. (62.23 x 78.74 cm)

Category

1980s Contemporary Roy De Forest Art

Materials

Lithograph

Related Items
Original Spokane (WA.) Colorful Capital Fun Map vintage poster
Original Spokane (WA.) Colorful Capital Fun Map vintage poster

Original Spokane (WA.) Colorful Capital Fun Map vintage poster

Located in Spokane, WA

Original Spokane (Washington), The Colorful Capital of the Inland Empire vintage travel fun map. Printed in 1971, this seldom if ever found original map is archival linen backed an...

Category

1970s American Modern Roy De Forest Art

Materials

Lithograph

Mixed Media on Woven Fabriano Painting "Feminin Reign"

Mixed Media on Woven Fabriano Painting "Feminin Reign"

By Anushka Kempken

Located in Cape Town, ZA

This unique artwork is created through interweaving and twisting strips of painted fabriano paper in order to create a complex composition with depth and texture. The artwork is fram...

Category

2010s Contemporary Roy De Forest Art

Materials

Gold Leaf

Turtle - Original Lithograph by Carlo Quattrucci - 1971

Turtle - Original Lithograph by Carlo Quattrucci - 1971

By Carlo Quattrucci

Located in Roma, IT

Turtle is an original artwork realized by Carlo Quattrucci in 1971. Hand Signed and dated on the lower right margin. Numbered on the lower left. Edition of 70 pieces plus some Arti...

Category

1970s Contemporary Roy De Forest Art

Materials

Lithograph

Toco Toucan Tucano
Toco Toucan Tucano

Katherine BernhardtToco Toucan Tucano, 2020

$4,594Sale Price|25% Off

H 29.93 in W 23.63 in

Toco Toucan Tucano

By Katherine Bernhardt

Located in London, GB

Toco Toucan Toucano (2020) Edition of 150 Nine colour lithographic print on Somerset Velvet 300 gsm. Signed, numbered, and dated by the artist Katherine Bernhardt is a contemporar...

Category

2010s Contemporary Roy De Forest Art

Materials

Lithograph

Etude Du Corps Humain D'après Ingres, Signed Lithograph, 144/180
Etude Du Corps Humain D'après Ingres, Signed Lithograph, 144/180

Etude Du Corps Humain D'après Ingres, Signed Lithograph, 144/180

By Francis Bacon

Located in Roma, IT

Etude Du Corps Humain D'après Ingres is a precious colored lithograph realized by Francis Bacon in 1984. Colored lithograph on Arches paper. Hand-signed by the artist on the lower r...

Category

1980s Contemporary Roy De Forest Art

Materials

Lithograph

Remember That You Cannot Look at The Sun or Death For Very Long
Remember That You Cannot Look at The Sun or Death For Very Long

Remember That You Cannot Look at The Sun or Death For Very Long

By David Hockney

Located in London, GB

Lithographic poster with a yellow silk screen overlay on 170gsm paper. Released by CIRCA in 2021. Limited edition of 3,000 prints. 89.4 x 25.4 cm. The print comes with a stamped dat...

Category

2010s Contemporary Roy De Forest Art

Materials

Paper, Lithograph

The Arrival of Spring Royal Academy Exhibition Posters Full Set
The Arrival of Spring Royal Academy Exhibition Posters Full Set

The Arrival of Spring Royal Academy Exhibition Posters Full Set

By David Hockney

Located in London, GB

Full set of four The Arrival of Spring, Normandy exhibition posters. Published by the Royal Academy, London. 2020. Each 76.2 x 50.8 cm. During the pandemic, Hockney created 116 artwo...

Category

2010s Contemporary Roy De Forest Art

Materials

Paper, Lithograph

'Financial District', New York City — American Modernism
'Financial District', New York City — American Modernism

'Financial District', New York City — American Modernism

By Howard Norton Cook

Located in Myrtle Beach, SC

Howard Cook, 'Financial District', lithograph, 1931, edition 75, Duffy 155. A fine, richly-inked impression, on cream wove paper, the full sheet with wide margins (2 3/4 to 5 5/8 inches), in excellent condition. Image size 13 5/16 x 10 3/8 inches (338 x 264 mm); sheet size 23 x 16 inches (584 x 406 mm). Matted to museum standards, unframed. Literature: 'American Master Prints from the Betty and Douglas Duffy Collection', the Trust for Museum Exhibitions, Washington, D.C., 1987. Collections: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Library of Congress, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum. ABOUT THE ARTIST Howard Norton Cook (1901-1980) was one of the best-known of the second generation of artists who moved to Taos. A native of Massachusetts, he studied at the Art Students League in New York City and at the Woodstock Art Colony. Beginning his association with Taos in 1926, he became a resident of the community in the 1930s. During his career, he received two Guggenheim Fellowships and was elected an Academician in the National Academy of Design. He earned a national reputation as a painter, muralist, and printmaker. Cook’s work in the print mediums received acclaim early in his career with one-person exhibitions at the Denver Art Museum (1927) and the Museum of New Mexico (1928). He received numerous honors and awards over the years, including selection in best-of-the-year exhibitions sponsored by the American Institute of Graphics Arts, the Brooklyn Museum, the Society of American Etchers, and the Philadelphia Print Club. His first Guggenheim Fellowship took him to Taxco, Mexico in 1932 and 1933; his second in the following year enabled him to travel through the American South and Southwest. Cook painted murals for the Public Works of Art Project in 1933 and the Treasury Departments Art Program in 1935. The latter project, completed in Pittsburgh, received a Gold Medal from the Architectural League of New York. One of his most acclaimed commissions was a mural in the San Antonio Post Office in 1937. He and Barbara Latham settled in Talpa, south of Taos, in 1938 and remained there for over three decades. Cook volunteered in World War II as an Artist War Correspondent for the US Navy, where he was deployed in the Pacific. In 1943 he was appointed Leader of a War Art Unit...

Category

1930s American Modern Roy De Forest Art

Materials

Lithograph

Sakura and Panda Offset Print, Signed, 21st Century, 202/300
Sakura and Panda Offset Print, Signed, 21st Century, 202/300

Sakura and Panda Offset Print, Signed, 21st Century, 202/300

By Takashi Murakami

Located in Bristol, GB

Offset print with silver and high gloss varnishing Edition 202 of 300 71 cm (28 in) Diameter Signed, numbered, dated and titled on the front Excellent, with a soft crease on the left...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Roy De Forest Art

Materials

Offset, Lithograph

"The Meeting 30" Stylized House Painting with Chalk Detail by Seth Clark
"The Meeting 30" Stylized House Painting with Chalk Detail by Seth Clark

"The Meeting 30" Stylized House Painting with Chalk Detail by Seth Clark

By Seth Clark

Located in Philadelphia, PA

This piece, titled "The Meeting 30" is an original artwork by Seth Clark as part of his newest solo exhibition, "Passing Through". made of ink transfer, charcoal, pastel, acrylic, a...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Roy De Forest Art

Materials

Wood, Paper, Charcoal, Pastel, Acrylic, Graphite, Ink

FLAG SERIES 1980 Signed Lithograph Colorful Flag Collage Madagascar Stamp, Birds
FLAG SERIES 1980 Signed Lithograph Colorful Flag Collage Madagascar Stamp, Birds

FLAG SERIES 1980 Signed Lithograph Colorful Flag Collage Madagascar Stamp, Birds

By Chaim Gross

Located in Union City, NJ

FLAG SERIES 1980 is a brightly colored lithograph by the American artist/sculptor Chaim Gross printed in 10 colors on archival Arches printmaking paper. FLAG SERIES 1980 depicts a bold graphic image comprised of colorful flag segments intermixed to form a varied bird-shaped designs. Chaim Gross' FLAG SERIES was specially commissioned by The World Federation of UN Associations (WFUNA) in 1980 as a limited edition lithograph for the UN stamp issue. Lithograph is hand signed in pencil by the artist Chaim Gross and numbered 166/1500. Postal Stamp and First Day cancel on lower left. Print size - 11.0" x 8.5" unframed, fresh, vivid colors, very good condition, hand signed in pencil by Chaim Gross. Chaim Gross,(1904 - 1991) was a sculptor, artist, and teacher, known for his wood carvings, sculptures of moving human figures, religious imagery, acrobats, mothers and children. Chaim was born on March 17, 1904 to a Jewish family in Austrian Galicia, in the village of Wolowa in the Carpathian Mountains. In 1911, his family moved to Kolomyia. During World War I, Russian forces invaded Austria-Hungary; amidst the turmoil, the Grosses fled Kolomyia. They returned when Austria retook the town in 1915, refugees of the war. When World War I ended, Gross and brother Avrom-Leib went to Budapest, where Gross attended the city's art academy and studied with painter Béla Uitz, though within a year a new regime under Miklos Horthy took over and attempted to expel all Jews and foreigners from the country. After being deported from Hungary, Gross began art studies at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Vienna shortly before emigrating to New York City in 1921. In the U.S., Gross's studies continued at the Beaux-Arts Institute of Design, where he studied sculpture with Elie Nadelman and others, and at the Art Students League, with sculptor Robert Laurent. He also attended the Educational Alliance Art School, studying under Abbo Ostrowsky. In the late 1920s and early 1930s Gross exhibited at the Salons of America exhibitions at the Anderson Galleries and, beginning in 1928, at the Whitney Studio Club (the precursor to the Whitney Museum of American Art). In March 1932 Gross had his first solo exhibition at Gallery 144 in New York City. Also in 1932, Gross married Renee Nechin (1909-2005), and they had two children, Yehuda and Mimi (Mimi Gross is a New York-based artist, and was married to the artist Red Grooms from 1963-1976). In 1933, Gross joined the government's PWAP (Public Works of Art Project), which transitioned into the WPA (Works Progress Administration). Under these programs Gross taught and demonstrated art, made sculptures for schools and public colleges, and created works for Federal buildings including the Federal Trade Commission Building, and for the France Overseas and Finnish Buildings at the 1939 New York World's Fair. Gross was also recognized during these years with a silver medal at the 1937 Exposition universelle in Paris. Chaim Gross, Sculptor by Josef Vincent Lombardo, the first major book on Gross, came out in 1949 and included a catalogue raisonne of his sculpture. In the 1950s Gross began to make more...

Category

1970s Contemporary Roy De Forest Art

Materials

Lithograph

Previously Available Items
Camping with Dog and Horse, Signed Lithograph by Roy De Forest
Camping with Dog and Horse, Signed Lithograph by Roy De Forest

Camping with Dog and Horse, Signed Lithograph by Roy De Forest

By Roy De Forest

Located in Long Island City, NY

Artist: Roy De Forest, American (1930 - 2007) Title: Camping Year: 1987 Medium: Lithograph on Arches, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 100 Size: 22 x 30 in. (55.88 x 76.2 cm)

Category

1980s Contemporary Roy De Forest Art

Materials

Lithograph

Camping
Camping

Roy De ForestCamping, 1987

Sold

H 22 in W 30 in

Camping

By Roy De Forest

Located in Long Island City, NY

Artist: Roy De Forest, American (1930 - 2007) Title: Camping Year: 1987 Medium: Lithograph on Arches, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 100 Size: 22 x 30 in. (55.88 x 76.2 cm)

Category

1980s Contemporary Roy De Forest Art

Materials

Lithograph

Walking
Walking

Roy De ForestWalking, 1987

Sold

H 24.5 in W 31 in

Walking

By Roy De Forest

Located in Long Island City, NY

Artist: Roy De Forest, American (1930 - 2007) Title: Walking Year: 1987 Medium: Lithograph on Arches, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 42/100 Size: 24.5 x 31 in. (62.23 x 78.74...

Category

1980s Contemporary Roy De Forest Art

Materials

Lithograph

Camping
Camping

Roy De ForestCamping, 1987

Sold

H 22 in W 30 in

Camping

By Roy De Forest

Located in Long Island City, NY

Artist: Roy De Forest, American (1930 - 2007) Title: Camping Year: 1987 Medium: Lithograph on Arches, signed in pencil Edition: 100, Sales Proof Size: 22 x 30 in. (55.88 x 76.2 cm)

Category

1980s Contemporary Roy De Forest Art

Materials

Lithograph

The Shepherd Brothers

The Shepherd Brothers

By Roy De Forest

Located in Kansas City, MO

Four-color lithograph. Edition of 20. Roy De Forest (11 February 1930 – 18 May 2007) was an American painter, sculpture, and teacher. He was involved in both the Funk art and Nut a...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Roy De Forest Art

Materials

Lithograph

Roy De Forest art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Roy De Forest art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Roy De Forest in lithograph, acrylic paint, archival paper and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Roy De Forest art, so small editions measuring 27 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of James Surls, Jean Richardson, and Corita Kent. Roy De Forest art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,200 and tops out at $25,000, while the average work can sell for $6,400.

Artists Similar to Roy De Forest