Pop Art Movement | Detailed Explanation, Artists and Major Works

Definition of Pop art

Pop art is an art wherein artist take commonly used things as its portraying object and draws it on canvas or simple plain paper.

First of all, Pop art emerged in the United Kingdom and the United States in the form of defiance against other traditional art forms.

Because, the Pop artist used to use images of favourite things like household stuff and market material.

What is Pop movement

Initially, Pop art was limited to a few artists that were the pioneers of IG (Independent group), But with time many other also joined this so-called art moment.

They were painters, sculptures, architects, writers and critics. They represented it whimsically because initially, this art didn’t get enough attention that’s why to make it famous, artists used taboo styles,

Sketched imagery design of ordinary daily objects that were nothing but American commercial products and advertising design. You can see many examples around you where you look at the precedent in the form of posters, paintings and Ad.

Pop art characteristics

Pop artists believe that everything is interconnected thats why they draw pictures very randomly. 

Pop artists had tried to blur the boundary of traditional art and modern craft that is still appreciated. In this art, there is no categorisation of the source means artists can take idea from any source. 

Vulgar as well as hidden meaning paintings have been one of the most influential characteristics of Pop art. 

For instance, see every variety of art style in different attitudes and postures. 

Pop art can show both hot expressions and important positive paintings. That’s why we can say that this art is coolly ambivalent.

This art can turn any meaningless collection of objects into a meaningful picture. We see the samples of Pop movement on cold drink bottles and home accessories. Thus it also represents capitalism.

• The final painting or any design depends on the whim of artist because they use kitschy and simple things.
• Pop artists take unrelated material like as taking any random thought and drawing it on paper.

Example: Richard Hamilton showed in his painting Just what is it that makes today’s homes so different, so appealing?

• Because artists use simple things and draw it whimsically that’s why to some extent it can be said that it is similar to minimalism and Dadaism.

• All things remain imagery from product labeling to a logo.
• It is very similar to dada movement but little bit difference can be seen. For example

Show artifacts of mass culture.

Dadaism: Its artists use anarchic, destructive materials to draw things whimsically.

• Dadaism: Its artists use anarchic, destructive materials to draw things whimsically.
• Many artists say that it’s a postmodern art.
• Pop artists believe that everything is interconnected that’s why they draw pictures very randomly.
• Pop artists had tried to blur the boundary of traditional art and modern craft that is still appreciated.
• In this art, there is no categorization of the source means artists can take the idea from any source.
• Vulgar as well as hidden meaning paintings have been one of the most influential characteristics of Pop movement. For instance, see every variety of art style in different attitudes and postures.
• Pop art can show both hot expressions and important positive paintings. That’s why we can say that this art is coolly ambivalent.
• This art can turn any meaningless collection of objects into a meaningful picture. We see the samples of Pop movement on cold drink bottles and home accessories.

Thus it also represents capitalism.

Pop art facts

Pop art is a kind of art movement that first started in the United Kingdom and the united states in 1952.

• This art is the outcome of the globalisation of youth culture and pop music.
•  It’s an amalgamation of different styles because arti ts used it whimsically (Boundaries between High art and Low culture)
• Because it was started by IG group, thus America is the pioneer of this art.
• We can see the influence of Dada movement on it.
• Pop movement was the reaction against Abstract Expressionism in America.
• The art of Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns is a bridge between Pop art and Abstract Expressionism.
• Andy Warhol is an artist who personifies Pop art more than any other.
• Pop art is very famous for its appealing icons and Marilyn Monroe is the most famous icon of pop art.
• Roy Lichtenstein is one of the famous artists who developed an awesome recognisable style of pop art and it became famous for American comic strip.
• It’s a challenge to traditions of fine art because it includes imagery form of mass culture.

Pop art’s artists

Following are the most important art and Artists that would give you basic idea- Major ideas of the movement and achievements of each artist in pop art. If you want to know about those Artists please visit their Wikipedia page.

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Pop art’s paintings

Paintings that still mesmerize us and we can see them in our textbooks also. These paintings were designed by these artists who devoted their whole life to this art.

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Pop art’s timeline

• 1950- Till 1950, this movement had enough popularity because in the United States and the United Kingdom many artists started practicing this art style.
• 1964- In 1964, this art had become the symbol of capitalism due to its demand. For example the shipping box and the household stuff such as a logo on refrigerator and television, on everything it could be seen.
• 1953- Both America and Britain became the hotbed of this art that’s why we look at approximate all artists from these two realms.
• 1949- Between 1947 to 1949, Eduardo Paolozzi gave his historic lecture in favor of pop art and demonstrated his work.
• 1952- Members of different communities started discussions against the style of Dadaism and abstract expressionism, In this way, they laid the foundation of a group- The Independent Group.
• 1960- In this year, American Pop art came into existence in the real sense because in this year RBA(Royal Society of British Artists) had organized an exhibition for new talent. They became the pioneers of American pop art.
• 1961- Exact after eight months, many artists showed American pop influence by showing their work.
• 1968- Till this year, the street walls of America and Britain were flooded with Grafitti and freestyle of pop art.
• 1980- In this year a great thing happened that was the introduction of pop art paintings in consumerism because at that time artists like Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, David Hockney, Richard Hamilton, and Romero Britto were in high demand.

When it got worldwide attention

According to the son of John McHale, this term pop art was first used or said by his father in 1954 in conversation with Frank Cordell,

But after some time this theory became famous that the term “Pop Art” was first used by Independent Group in the discussion during the mid of 1956.

Actually, in 1952, There was a London based group who challenged the realm of fine art and tried to give another form of art which we know it as today’s modern pop art.

This London base Group was IG (Independent Group). Which members designed the logo of Coca-cola, Ford motors and of various brands.

There is no doubt that this was the group of then writers, sculptures and painters who used to discuss prevailing modernist approaches to culture as well as worldwide spread traditional views of fine art.

The Independent Group (IG): The United Kingdom

This group is very pivotal in the discussion of Pop art because its members were the pioneers of this art that drew the directional line of its dimension. Initially when this art didn’t get enough attention, for instance, its member had very low commercial reach, then the member of Independent group started meetings, they strife to make it famous. And their effort can be seen everywhere, Remember those magazines of childhood, those all cartoon characters are the example of Pop art And one more thing that you not only see the examples of this art in the advertisement industry, any movies, comics or famous paintings but you may see it in your room. For instance the bottle of Coca-Cola or your refrigerator sticker Because its example is everywhere, see these pictures.

American pop art

Pioneers of Pop art had started publishing it in newspaper and magazines in the early 1950s, in America,

Actually till 1954 it had become a famous art due to the strife of The Independent Group, but real encouragement it got in the 1960s When after two years this term pop art was used or introduced officially in December 1962.

The occasion was “Symposium on Pop Art.”

The Museum of Modern Art organized it. After it, there was the boom period for Pop art because capitalist forces had started accepting it as an advertisement icon.

We can see many examples like in the Ad of coca cola, we have seen this term written in the form of Pop art style.

After this Ad, American artists bombarded the series of pop art paintings for advertisement industry.

Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg these two important painters contributed to this art style immensely.

Initially, this art style was so dramatic because initially, it had to face many criticisms and artists misused this art style for the sake of earning money.

Their work of 1950 is classified as Neo-Dada and if you observe it carefully, then it is virtually distinct from the prototypical American Pop art which was everyone’s favorite in 1960.

But right now you can see this art form in approximate each part of the world like France, Spain, Japan, Italy, Belgium, and Russia etc.

British Pop Art

This part of the world is famous for its unique group that came into existence in 195

The group name is IG (Independent Group). Actually, this was the gathering of people like painters sculptures, some critics, writers and architects who came together against prevailing modernist approaches.

They wanted to represent their feeling by sketching daily use things like mundane objects.

This art is losing its importance due to various technological advancement but still, if you want to see anything very catchy and appealing then you should try this pop art.

whether you see any newspaper, magazines, movies, comic books or product design, You would see the examples of British’s pop art, this all became possible due to the effort of IG group.

It’s an art form that not only allured artists and painters, but it also became famous for capitalistic forces. Similarly, its success had not been in European countries or England, but Americans equally appreciate it too.

Now if you observe movies or news, then you get that New York City has become a pivotal point, per se hotbed for Pop art.

British Pop movement: History at a glance

The Independent Group (IG)- Founded in London in 1952 First Independent Group meeting in 1952 Artist and sculptor Eduardo Paolozzi presented a lecture using a series of collages. 1954 in conversation with Frank Cordell In London, the annual Royal Society of British Artists (RBA) exhibition. First showed American pop influences 1960.