Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960 - 1988). Basquiat was an urban graffiti artist on the streets of New York City in the '80s. Gaining local notoriety and following the acceptance of Andy Warhol, Basquiat quickly became an art phenomenon. Fitting into a genre called Outsider Art, Basquiat's work exhibits a smoothly aggressive, hip quality that, Oates feels, is seldom found in Outsider Art. Through striking line and color application, Basquiat has delivered a raw style of work that addresses music, prosperity, introspection and social analysis.

Linda Burnham. Burnham exhibited a brilliant play of Pop Art and domestic nostalgia at Jessica Fredericks Gallery in New York in 1997. Old school cartoon-like clip art known as "wing-dings," were layered atop vintage tablecloths from the 1950s. Through an exciting, whimsical interaction of bold characters with the bright patterns of stretched tablecloths, Burnham's vision offers a subtle commentary on gender roles of the past and present.

Willem de Kooning (1904 - 1997). Abstract Expressionist and member of the New York School, de Kooning's work contains elements rarely found in the genre. In certain works, de Kooning began with a primitive, near frightening human figure. With the figure established, the artist then buried it under thick, aggressive painting gestures. The resulting work featured a human character hidden behind a violent and introspective painting attack.

Frank Kozik. Punk Rock and Underground Music poster artist, Frank Kozik used the influence of the late '60s San Francisco psychedelic venue promotions and twisted them to fit the '90s. On a very basic level, Kozik's silkscreens are advertisements for such musical acts as Boss Hog, Nirvana & the Lunachicks. On a larger scale, Kozik's politically incorrect imagery is designed to amuse and offend. Hard-lined and brightly colored, the artist's characters celebrate drug use, violence and promiscuity while satirizing politics, religion and common decency.

Roy Lichtenstein (1923 - 1997). In the early '60s, Lichenstein played a crucial role in the development and acceptance of the Pop Art phenomenon. Lifting images directly from comic strips, Lichenstein produced clean, hip, machine-made artwork that boasted strong lines and bold colors. No attempts were made to disguise the source, comics were copied right down to the Ben-Day dots. Lichenstein's work forced viewers to question the accepted differences between high and low art.

Bonnie MacLean. The Fillmore Auditorium of San Francisco in the late '60s was a groovy venue for such musical acts as The Doors, Jefferson Airplane and Quicksilver Messenger Service. In promotion of these shows, posters as psychedelic as the music and times were produced. Following the departure of Wes Wilson, Bonnie MacLean took the production reigns. MacLean's work maintains a psychedelic sensibility while introducing crisp smooth imagery combined with a stronger contrast in colors. Oates feels that the work of MacLean, while often overlooked, was a major factor in delivering this genre into an accepted art style.

Sigmar Polke (1941). Generally presented as a figurative expressionist, it is certain works by this German artist that Oates feels his own work most closely resembles. These works from the mid '60s feature landscapes and glamour photos crudely reproduced and combined with an expressionist painting style and textured backgrounds. The outcome of this process is a colorized disruption of an accepted visual presentation that doesn't disregard the image.

Andy Warhol (1928 - 1987). Warhol stands as the biggest influence on the artistic production of Oates. Warhol brought the "common artifacts" of the American social landscape into art galleries. The "Warhol '60s" featured Elvis, Marilyn Monroe and Campbell's Soup. Produced in "the Factory," Warhol's work celebrated reproduction and consumer goods. Advertisements and product designs were now in vogue. Glitter and glamour, the artist created the superstar phenomenon, Edie Sedgwick and The Velvet Underground. Warhol gave the world the highly recognized "Tongue and Lips" logo of The Rolling Stones. The question has been raised, "Does Andy imitate life, or does life imitate Andy?" The legacy of Warhol results in an artist as recognizable and remembered as his art.