Pop ArtPop ArtAmerican Art in the 1950s American Art in the 1950s

and 1960sand 1960s

Pop ArtPop Art A visual art movement that emerged in the A visual art movement that emerged in the

mid 1950s in Britain and the late 1950s in mid 1950s in Britain and the late 1950s in the United States.the United States.

It challenged tradition by asserting that an It challenged tradition by asserting that an artist's use of the mass-produced visual artist's use of the mass-produced visual commodities of popular culture is commodities of popular culture is contiguous with the perspective of fine art.contiguous with the perspective of fine art.

It removes the material from its context and It removes the material from its context and isolates the object, or combines it with other isolates the object, or combines it with other objects, for contemplation.objects, for contemplation.

The concept of pop art refers not as much The concept of pop art refers not as much to the art itself as to the attitudes that led to the art itself as to the attitudes that led to it.to it.

Pop ArtPop Art It is widely interpreted as a It is widely interpreted as a reaction and expansion to the reaction and expansion to the then-dominant ideas of abstract then-dominant ideas of abstract expressionismexpressionism

It aimed to employ images of popular as It aimed to employ images of popular as opposed to elitist culture in artopposed to elitist culture in art

emphasizes the banal or kitschy elements of emphasizes the banal or kitschy elements of any given culture, most often through the use any given culture, most often through the use of irony. of irony.

It is also associated with the artists' use of It is also associated with the artists' use of mechanical means of reproduction or rendering mechanical means of reproduction or rendering techniques.techniques.

Characterized by:Characterized by:

Themes and techniques drawn from Themes and techniques drawn from popular mass culturepopular mass culture

AdvertisementsAdvertisements Comic booksComic books Celebrity imagesCelebrity images Mundane Cultural objectsMundane Cultural objects

So….what does all of that So….what does all of that mean?mean?

Taking an everyday object and Taking an everyday object and turning it into art is what the turning it into art is what the

Pop Art movement was all Pop Art movement was all about.about.

Andy Andy Warhol was Warhol was a leading a leading figure in figure in

the the Pop Art Pop Art

movementmovement

Born in Pittsburgh PennsyvaniaBorn in Pittsburgh Pennsyvania Warhol showed early artistic talent and Warhol showed early artistic talent and

studied commercial art at the School of Fine studied commercial art at the School of Fine Arts at Carnegie Institute of Technology in Arts at Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh Pittsburgh

He had a very successful art career in NY He had a very successful art career in NY doing commercial illustrations for magazines, doing commercial illustrations for magazines, cards, and even designed window displays.cards, and even designed window displays.

His first one man gallery exhibition was in His first one man gallery exhibition was in 1962 in California and marked the West 1962 in California and marked the West Coast debut of Pop ArtCoast debut of Pop Art

Had a fascination with CelebritiesHad a fascination with Celebrities

Some of his work…Some of his work…

Roy Lichenstien was another Roy Lichenstien was another leading figure Pop Artistleading figure Pop Artist

He described Pop art as, "not 'American' painting but actually industrial paintingHe described Pop art as, "not 'American' painting but actually industrial painting

Roy LichtensteinRoy Lichtenstein Born in 1923 in New York CityBorn in 1923 in New York City His school did not have an art program so His school did not have an art program so his interest in art and design started as a his interest in art and design started as a

hobbyhobby Work is heavily influenced by both popular Work is heavily influenced by both popular

advertising and the comic book styleadvertising and the comic book style In 1961, he began his first Pop Art paintings In 1961, he began his first Pop Art paintings

using cartoon images and techniques derived using cartoon images and techniques derived from the appearance of commercial printing. from the appearance of commercial printing.

His work Features thick outlines, bold colors His work Features thick outlines, bold colors and Benday Dots to represent certain colorsand Benday Dots to represent certain colors

Some of his work…Some of his work…

Lichtenstein’s first pop art painting

Forcing the viewer to examine something that they wouldn’t have given a second thought if they had seen it in a different context also intrigues him. For instance, when we read a comic book we are looking at pictures that were drawn strictly for the purpose of telling a story. We accept these images as real, but when this artist enlarges them, we see how artificial and abstract they really are.

Some of his work…Some of his work…

Robert RauschenbergRobert Rauschenberg

Robert RauschenbergRobert Rauschenberg Born in Texas in 1925Born in Texas in 1925 Imagined himself first as a minister and Imagined himself first as a minister and

later as a pharmacist. later as a pharmacist. It wasn’t until 1947, while in the U.S. It wasn’t until 1947, while in the U.S.

Marines that he discovered his aptitude for Marines that he discovered his aptitude for drawing and his interest in the artistic drawing and his interest in the artistic representation of everyday objects and representation of everyday objects and people. people.

He’s most famous for his "Combines" of He’s most famous for his "Combines" of the 1950s, in which non-traditional the 1950s, in which non-traditional materials and objects were employed in materials and objects were employed in innovative combinations innovative combinations

Some of his work…Some of his work…

Steve KaufmanSteve Kaufman

Born inBorn in Was Andy Warhol’s assistant at The Was Andy Warhol’s assistant at The

FactoryFactory Created graphics for Saturday Night Created graphics for Saturday Night

LiveLive Did a lot of celebrity portraits like Did a lot of celebrity portraits like

Warhol’s Warhol’s Still creating workStill creating work

Other Notable Pop ArtistsOther Notable Pop Artists Billy AppleBilly Apple Sir Peter BlakeSir Peter Blake Derek Derek BoshierBoshier Patrick CaulfiePatrick Caulfie

ldld

Alan Alan D’ArcangeloD’Arcangelo

Jim DineJim Dine William EgglesWilliam Eggles

tonton

ErróErró Marisol EscobMarisol Escob

arar

Red GroomsRed Grooms Richard HamiltRichard Hamilt

onon

Keith HaringKeith Haring David David

HockneyHockney Robert IndianaRobert Indiana

Peter MaxPeter Max Takashi MurakaTakashi Muraka

mimi

Yoshitomo NaraYoshitomo Nara ClaesClaes

Oldenburg Oldenburg Julian Julian OpieOpie Eduardo Eduardo

PaolozziPaolozzi Peter PhillipsPeter Phillips Jasper JohnsJasper Johns Allen JonesAllen Jones Alex KatzAlex Katz CoritaCorita Kent Kent Nicholas Nicholas

KrushenickKrushenick Yayoi Yayoi KusamaKusama Richard LindnerRichard Lindner John McHaleJohn McHale

SigmarSigmar PolkePolke HaritonHariton

PushwagnerPushwagner Mel RamosMel Ramos Larry RiversLarry Rivers James James

RosenquistRosenquist Ed Ed RuschaRuscha George SegalGeorge Segal Colin SelfColin Self AyaAya Takano Takano Wayne Wayne

ThiebaudThiebaud Andy WarholAndy Warhol John WesleyJohn Wesley Tom Tom

WesselmannWesselmann