A brief history of pop art – Part 1

Pop art is short for the term “Popular art” and is used to describe art which incorporates ideas from popular culture. Pop artists use everyday items like groceries, comic strips and advertising materials to create artwork. The Pop art movement began as a revolt against art that was only aimed at the elite; it is art designed to be enjoyed by the ordinary person.

In 1917, Marcel Duchamp turned a porcelain urinal on its side and displayed it as a sculptural piece. This was the first clear demonstration of an artist using ready made objects to create art. His artwork was a rebellion against dreary, realistic paintings of struggling peasants. This artwork, credited with bringing art down off its pedestal lead the way for the modern art movement of pop art.

The Pop art movement became an international art movement which ran from the 1950s to 1975. It included various mediums of artwork such as paintings, sculptures and printmaking.

Pop art first took off in England in the 1950s and had gained popularity in the United States by the 1960s. It was a natural evolution in the United States because society was being bombarded with bright, new magazines, a booming film industry and many forms of advertising. Pop art was the middle of the road; it combined techniques from advertising illustration work and formal artistic techniques.

Ordinary objects like soups cans, hamburgers and soap were all used in Pop art. It was animated, energetic and colorful which made it appealing to a mainstream audience. This was the intention of believers in the Pop art movement. They felt abstract art was too difficult for the average person to comprehend and enjoy and they believed fine arts were too serious and restricted to a privileged few.

Pop art was a fresh new concept which introduced many new individuals to art. The artworks were often humorous, sarcastic or metaphorical. Artists commonly used repetition in their work. The pop art movement initially met some resistance from older individuals in the art industry. They were openly critical about works that they believed made a mockery of art. However, the acceptance of the public ensured that pop art went on to become a strong art movement.

One of the most popular artists of the pop art movement was Andy Warhol. His iconic works include the Campbell’s soup tins and screen prints of Marilyn Monroe. He used one iconic advertising image of Marilyn Monroe’s face and screen printed it over bright colors. Warhol believed that art should be for the masses not an elite few.

Pop art became one of the most popular art movements of the modern art period and over the last few years it has been a popular feature in many galleries around the globe.