Who is the most significant artist of the last century?

I would have to say that Rene Magritte is one of the most significant artists of the last century and his contribution to our modern culture is sadly undervalued. His art was radically different from the other surrealists in that it was not meaningless. His work has influenced not only advertising as we know it but also he was one of the forefathers of conceptual art as for him the idea was what was most important, not the act of painting. A couple of quotes from Magritte which sum up some of what I love about him are

"In the face of wide spread pessimism I propose the search for joy, for pleasure, which are so commonplace and yet so out of reach..." and in regards to the mystery, joy and terror of being alive he states "We can not speak about it, we can only be overwhelmed by it."

cheers

duchamp... or kincaid. My guess is that they would probably be friends, at least. By the way, Picasso was not even close to being the most prolific; smart guy, techniquely talented, hard working, yes. Braque was the other primary cubist, just not the successful artworld playboy Picasso was. MARKETING my friends.

Picasso. I don't know that he was the most talented but the attention his art drew and continues to draw is the most cuturally changing of any 20th Century artist.

My Girl friend creates the art that makes my soul sing, my heart ache, and my mind spellbound, but no one knows it except me.

I gotta say Escher. The world continues to move in the direction of reason, and it was Escher's work that first allowed me to understand that art and creativity are not mutually exclusive with logic.

I'd say Salvador Dali or Edvard Munch

The creative artistry of the one and only Salvador Dali.

Probably Warhol. You see his influence all over the place, once you have studied his ouvre. Even the phrase 'your 15 minutes' comes from him.

Picasso, hands down.

For me it's Jackson Pollack. But most of your list has moved me at one time or another.