Pop Art
Pop art arose from artists in New York, just as Abstract Expressionism also did. Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein were a part of the group of pioneers that were able to make Pop Art what it is today. Pop Art surfaced in 1950 but gained most of its popularity during the 1960s. It first served as a rebuttal to the traditional views of art and what it should be considered. Many of the new coming artists strongly believed that what they were taught in art school was irrelevant and had nothing to do with others' lives. So, as a result they turned to everyday objects and pop culture. A large majority of the public strongly disliked the idea of pop art due to its minimalistic subject matter and simplistic ideas. Pop art had different variations throughout many different countries, but its most significant impacts were on Britain and America. In America, Pop Art was seen as the return to a representational art after the Abstract expressionist movement. In Britain, Pop Art revolved around what American popular imagery stood for. It is commonly said that Pop artists were the first to recognize that there is no unmediated access to anything.
Campbell's Soup CansArtist: Andy Warhol
Date: 1962 Medium: Synthetic Polymer Paint on Canvas Current Location: The Museum of Modern Art Andy Warhol is one the most acclaimed artists of the Pop Art movement. The soup cans represent what the artists of this genre were focusing on. Pop art was meant to display the objects of everyday life which is demonstrated in the painting. During this time Campbell only sold 32 soup varieties, which is why Warhol portrayed 32 cans.
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Crying GirlVertical Divider
Artist: Roy Lichtenstein
Date: 1963 Medium: Enamel Paint Current Location: Milwaukee Art Museum Crying Girl uses pop art characteristics like bright colors and emotions, like in many of Lichtenstein’s many other works. This painting is also meant to highlight the struggle beneath the glamour of an American girl in the 60’s. While she may have that beautiful appearance, beneath that she is struggling emotionally.
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In The Car
Artist: Roy Lichtenstein
Date: 1963
Medium: Oil paint
Current Location: Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
Lichtenstein’s in the car is another painting where he display his popular use of bright colors and an attractive blonde woman. He often painted his work on a huge scale and was mostly based on comic strips. His work is said to portray images of contemporary America being glamourous, yet dramatic at the same time. This painting also belongs to one of many others in a series focused on the portrayal of women in pop art.
Date: 1963
Medium: Oil paint
Current Location: Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
Lichtenstein’s in the car is another painting where he display his popular use of bright colors and an attractive blonde woman. He often painted his work on a huge scale and was mostly based on comic strips. His work is said to portray images of contemporary America being glamourous, yet dramatic at the same time. This painting also belongs to one of many others in a series focused on the portrayal of women in pop art.