Collage, advertising, comics
1956, Richard Hamilton's Just What Is It That Makes Today’s Homes So Different, So Appealing? |
This collage is probably the first Pop Art image. Being influenced by Dadaism and Cubism, Pop Artists followed the tradition of the collage but adding some subversive and allegorical components.
1955, Andy Warho À La Recherche du Shoe Perdu |
1961, Roy Lichtenstien Look Mickey |
This portfolio of different and anachronistic shoes, made at the beginning of the Warho's career, makes a crucial point to the birth of this new tendency.
This painting was the first Lichtentien pop painting. It was based on Donald Duck Lost and Found illustrated by Bob Grant and Bob Totten. It's an illustration of the myth of Narcisus.
Emblems
The media knew a huge development in the mid-20th century. A mass of ads, slogans, brand names and logos invaded people lives. It was the perfect opportunity for the artists to be as well invaded by the inspiration a new ideas. A lot of every days life objects were represented on different formats with words like "eat", "hug"...
Bob Grant and Bob Totten Donald Duck Lost and Found |
Emblems
The media knew a huge development in the mid-20th century. A mass of ads, slogans, brand names and logos invaded people lives. It was the perfect opportunity for the artists to be as well invaded by the inspiration a new ideas. A lot of every days life objects were represented on different formats with words like "eat", "hug"...
John Haughey
Coke Bottles and Pepsi Caps |
Myths
Andy Warhol Christian Bale from Psycho |
Hollywood created some idols for the cinema business world. Marilyn Monroe, Marlon Brando were some of them. Lot of them worked with some Pop Artists to become even more famous. That's why, some how, appeared some fetishes to a couple of actors. Artists were able to combine media and culture.
Wolf Vostell Marilyn Idol |
John Lennon psychedelic portrait |
Portraits
With Pop Art portraits were as well revolutionized. Pop Artists did not search to represent reality, in fact, what they wanted was, across painting some images or lines, let the spectator find the hidden idea, a face, maybe some expressions... This way portraits become simulacrums.
Landscapes, Interiors, Still lifes
With the consumer culture appeared some communicative codes bearing arbitrary meanings. This was the principal consequence to Pop Artists reinterpreting traditional genres of paintings, landscapes, interiors, still lifes... The genres are adapted to the contemporary urban milieu, a private domestic space, in the traditional still life; an artificial composition arranged by the artist, in the avant-garde. It becomes a public, commercial space.
The media and the 20th century were flooded by the sexual freedom. The eroticism invaded pictures and ads. Tobacco, cars, drinks, food... Everything was surrounded by sexy women and men. These pictures symbolized beauty, sex, fertility, love and (because of the ads) prosperity and comfort.
The media evolution allowed Pop Artists to access much better to news and make some critics and illustrations of contemporary events. They were much oportunities to send messages to people and spread artists' opinions. Also, if some news were not well known Pop Art eases people to know the truth.
In
Pop Art it's essential to use images on images, art on art. This is the way to pose questions about the evolution. Artists can create new versions of Botticelli using silkscreened photographs. It also helps Pop Artists to demythologize certain master pieces. Using older paintings they create the paradox, the exchanges between the different cultures...
The media and the 20th century were flooded by the sexual freedom. The eroticism invaded pictures and ads. Tobacco, cars, drinks, food... Everything was surrounded by sexy women and men. These pictures symbolized beauty, sex, fertility, love and (because of the ads) prosperity and comfort.
History painting
Andy Warhol Mao |
Art about art
Équipo Crónica The Living Room |
In
Pop Art it's essential to use images on images, art on art. This is the way to pose questions about the evolution. Artists can create new versions of Botticelli using silkscreened photographs. It also helps Pop Artists to demythologize certain master pieces. Using older paintings they create the paradox, the exchanges between the different cultures...
To sum up and to put it in a nutshell, Pop Art is an innovative movement that picks important things from each culture and modify it to make their own culture. We could see this kind of actions like an irreverence, disrespecting and profanity. But actually I see it like an evolution. Without no evolution we would still picking bananas from the trees. I think it's something good and necessary, after all, every artistic movement did it, and why would one of them be better than the others? Everyone has born thanks to the needs of the populations or what was fashionable at the time.
Very well done overall, Mario.
ReplyDeleteBLOG POST 6: POP ART MYTHS
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