Pop Art Research Paper

Pop art got its name from Lawrence Alloway, who was a British art critic in 1950’s. The name “Pop Art” reflected on the “familiar imagery of the contemporary urban environment” (kleiner, 981). This art form was popular for its bold and simple looks plus its bright and vibrant colors. An example of this type of art is the oil painting done by Andy Warhol, “Marilyn Diptych” (Warhol, Marilyn Diptych) in 1962. The Pop art movement became known in the mid-1950 and continued as main type of art form until the late 1960’s. The Pop art movement, was a movement where medium played a huge part in the society, with it reflecting on advertisements, comic strips and even celebrities, like Marilyn. This movement also has a large

The art of this era falls under the category of “psychedelic art.” Psychedelic can be defined as “of or noting a mental state characterized by a profound sense of intensified sensory perception, sometimes accompanied by severe perceptual distortion and hallucinations and by extreme feelings of either euphoria or despair,”8 and was usually influenced by the use of drugs. This kind of art was characterized by bright colors and unusual contrasts. Op art and pop art fall under this category of psychedelic art. “Op art, short for Optical art, is a style of abstraction that relies on geometric shapes, lines, and color juxtapositions to create optical illusions for the viewer.”9 Often looking at Op art makes one feel dizzy or disillusioned, which is the goal of the artist. Pop art was popular for commercial use, often seen in advertisements or on

The concept of pop art started to become popular during this time as it was described using simple, bright colors and images to symbolize everyday life.

Pop Art emerged in Britain in the late 50’s and the United States in the early 60’s.(Mamiya 1992) Pop Art is generally known today as a representation of celebrating popular culture and consumerism, however it’s background and origins are far more broad and extensive. There are many factors and influences that lead to the creation of the Pop Art movement such as adjusting to life after World War II, new technological advances that lead to mass cooperate growth, the evolution of Abstract Expressionism and also social issues in the media such as feminism. (Smith 2001; Mamiya 1992) Many of these factors overlap and act as a catalyst in the creation of Neodadaism and eventually Pop Art. (Livingstone 1992) Pop Art does not have a soul distinct style nor just one major influence and this can be proven by looking at key artists of the movement such as Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Claes Oldenburg and James Rosenquist as well as female Pop artists such as Martha Rosler. (Brauer, Edwards, Finch & Hopps 2001) Exploring these artists and the major influences of their work will break down Pop Art and establish the movement’s purpose as well as its evolution.

Color field painters used a different abstract strategy and focused on controlled shapes rather than a randomized effect. Abstractism in the 1940’s paved the way for Pop Art in the 1950’s by challenging traditional values and definitions of art work. Abstract Expressionism inspired the entire creative community, including sculptors, poets, photographers, and film-makers.

The term ``Pop Art'' was first used by the English critic Lawrence Alloway in a 1958 issue of Architectural Digest to describe those paintings that celebrate post-war consumerism, defy the psychology of Abstract Expressionism, and worship the god of materialism. The most famous of the Pop artists, the cult figure Andy Warhol, recreated quasi-photographic paintings of people or everyday objects.

The very famous Mona Lisa was great inspiration for many other art pieces, but none as famous as itself except for Andy Warhol’s silkscreens of the Mona Lisa. It is said that he was so consumed by the famousness and celebrity that the painting created that he became obsessed with it for the rest of his life. His creation of his own Mona Lisa pieces, as well as his Jackie series and his Marilyn series and all the series that Warhol created of the many

Warhol is mainly known for his works of pop art. “He debuted the concept of pop art, paintings that focused on mass-produced commercial goods. Everyone who has heard of Warhol is familiar with one of his most famous paintings, Campbell’s Soup Cans. “These created a sensation in the art world and launched Warhol as a celebrity.”(pbs ) Ever since warhol was a child he loved to draw and paint celebrities and modern day necessities.

Art has been a recurring part of history from the very beginning. As society changes so does the style of art. Each new style is known as a movement and one of the most prominent, long-lasting movements in recent centuries is known as Modernism. Modernism is characterized by its deviation from tradition. People who are a part of this movement found enjoyment in finding new mediums to use, creating art that revolves around feelings and emotions rather than reality. Abstract idealisms of modernism cause its viewers to need to think more critically about the art before them. In past movements, the meaning of the work was obvious as it was created to mimic reality.

One of his jobs was to design the weather map for NBC’s morning news. In 1952 Warhol held his first exhibit, it was not a financial success, but it enhanced Warhol’s reputation as a commercial artist. But his spare time was now taken up with pop art, inspired by Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg, two young pop artist, Warhol had come across in 1958. He began to paint, draw and print everyday objects such as, dollar bills, soup cans, postage stamps, comic strips, and soda bottles. According to Warhol, these were some of the consumer products “on which America is built.”

The Pop Art Movement was a pivotal moment in the history of modern art. Well known artist Andy Warhol was extremely influential in the popularity of the pop-art movement. From his early life, to his famous pieces, Andy Warhol’s influence on the art world was one to be celebrated. Andy Warhol was born on August 6th, 1928 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was highly creative at a young age, receiving his 1st camera at eight years old.

From tomato to clam chowder, he reproduced every kind of soup the company had manufactured. Using a mix of hand painting and hand stamping he mimicked how labels were produced on a mass scale, something that has always inspired him. Though when the works first went on exhibit, people weren’t quite sure what to express about them. Many people thought it was a joke of a show, or that it was scandalous to simply “copy” the appearance of a mass produced item. Even though the commentary was a mixed one, it still kept Andy in the spotlight of the art world.

Andy Warhol is probably the most infamous artists to emerge from this time period. Not only was Warhol a painter, he was also a commercial illustrator, avant-garde filmmaker, record producer, and author. His affection for consumerism and pop culture led him to create pieces of controversial art that is still popular today. Warhol was infatuated by

There were two major art movements during the 1960’s: Pop Art and Minimalism.The two movements are still relevant and influentiantial now in the 21st century. These two art movements do not meet the standard of arts original idea. Pop art represents popular culture, comic books, advertising and television. Pop art movement appeared in the mid 1950’s. It challenged traditional art, it is loud and aggressive, filled with vibrant colors. Once you are familiar with a some Pop art paintings, its unique style is easy to distinguish among the rest. It represented more everyday life than anything. Minimalism and Pop art can be very similar but yet have countless differences that vary from artist to artist. Minimalism isolates the material and blurs out any emotional content and personal expressivity. Minimalism reduces everything to its essential elements. The events that occurred during these movements, such as the Civil rights and the Vietnam War influenced artist to try to challenge other type of art forms and go beyond just “fine art”.

Pop artists chose a specific theme and style for their work of art, sculptures and prints, they utilized their claim to create a surprizing outline or a design with the same amount of energy and creativity. Also, pop art turned to be more affordable and open to everybody.