Pop-art: the power of being reconized

While going through the history of art movements, ou start to mention two things that are always happening. The first one is that every somehow remarkable movement is sooner or later met with a somehow remarkable opposition. The second one is that art is reflective to the progress, whether it's industrial, social or technological. The emergence of Pop art is a bright example of how this rules were applied. 

At the beginning of 50's, a group of British artists noticed a remarkable aesthetics of  American commercials. They were amused by the unrealistic promises of better life that were actively promoted by media and pop culture. It concerned the overall power of commodities and the life style promoted into masses. Out of the denial of conceptual art, that reduced the usage of material objects and visual appeal of art, and of the influence of pop culture, the phenomenon of Pop art emerged.  

The main characteristic of the style it's shifting from the standards of high culture towards the values of low culture. It was the moment when artwork gained a status of material good, due tщ it's simplification and approachability for large audience. Together with that, art objects started to lose their uniqueness and cultural value. Furthermore, the features of low art brought the elements of entertainment and irreconcilability and turned art into a mainstream thing.   

Just What Is It That Makes Today's Homes So Different, So Appealing? 

Richard Lichtenstein

1956

One of the earliest examples of Pop art. A highly ironic comment on the modern lifestyle and stereotypes. Lichtenstein seemed to outline the most highly promoted attributes that should presumably make the life better. He stresses this illusion of what modern happiness is , and according to the work, it's a matter of material supply and appearance. After the war, such great availability of good was striking for most people, therefore it was easier to manipulate their consumer instincts. Hamilton's comment is exaggerated, but very true at the same time. Along with that, he also suggest a depiction of perfect gender roles, that is demonstrated by the highly masculine figure of the man, and a woman who's only wearing a lamp cover on her head, as a symbol of objectification.

This artwork is a collage which is a typical form for Pop art. The pieces were cut out of popular magazines and include various examples of home ware commodities. 

Campbell's Soup Cans 

Andy Warhol

1962

The one and only king of repetition and painter of consumerism. It is well-known that Warhol had a very materialistic approach to art. As he said: 'Business art is the step that comes after Art. I started as a commercial artist, and I want to finish as a business artist.' His commercial background is hard to ignore. The artwork could easily become another soup advertisement. The possible reason because he decided to make this and other similar artworks of the series can be the lack of excitement in that time cliched art. The repetition can also be an irony, as to show that the art became boring and all same.  As to his consumer designer background, he knew hoe to make an image of a simple object work better for the audience and become really recognizable. The painting creates a so familiar feeling for an average American - to be in a clean full of goods supermarket. Andy Warhol was not ashamed to use technologies of printing and that was fitting the hia approach to art and the philosophy of consumerism.

Sources:

http://www.theartstory.org/movement-pop-art.htm

http://uk.phaidon.com/agenda/art/articles/2011/september/13/richard-hamilton-father-of-pop-art-1922-2011/

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