Billy Al Bengston

Billy Al Bengston (born June 7, 1934 in Dodge City, Kansas) is an American artist and sculptor who lives and works in Venice, California. He was educated at Los Angeles City College Los Angeles, CA (1952), California College of Arts & Crafts Oakland, CA (1955), and the Otis Art Institute, Los Angeles, CA (1956). After seeing the work of Jasper Johns at the 1958 Venice Biennale he adopted the motif of a set of sergeant's stripes. This recurring image was painted with industrial materials and techniques associated with the decoration of motorcycle tanks and surfboards.

Sources:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2010/02/art-review-billy-al-bengston-at-samuel-freeman-gallery.html, http://www.artnet.com/artists/billy-al-bengston/