History of Pop Art

- emerged during the year of 1950 – 1960’s in Britain and America by a group of painters,
sculptors, writers, and critics called Independent Group.
- This art movement started in a way that it created a revolt against the presiding (dominant) art
and traditional views on what art should be.
- Many believed that U.K. Pop pioneer Richard Hamilton ‘s 1956 collage “Just what is it that
makes today’s homes so different, so appealing?” marked the official beginning of the cultural
phenomenon after it appeared in Whitechapel Gallery in London.

What is a Pop Art?

- Pop Art is an art movement in which artists incorporated commonplace objects—comic strips,
soup cans, newspapers, and more—into their work.
- famous characteristics of Pop art: recognizable images and bright colors.
- Humor is one of the main components as the component make a statement about current events,
poke fun at fads, and challenge the status quo.

Why is Pop Art created?

Its goal is to strengthen the idea that art can draw inspiration from any source, and that there is
no cultural hierarchy to get in the way.

Examples of Pop Art:

1. Campbell’s Soup Cans (1962)
By: Andy Warhol
- Warhol mimicked the repetition and uniformity of advertising by carefully reproducing the
same image across each individual canvas.
- Warhol said of Campbell’s soup, “I used to drink it. I used to have the same lunch every day,
for 20 years, I guess, the same thing over and over again.”

2. Drowning Girl (1963)

By: Roy Lichtenstein
- Drowning Girl depicts a young woman drowning in Lichtenstein’s signature comic-strip style.
-  Her face is central to the piece, surrounded by water. 
- “I DONT CARE! I’D RATHER SINK — THAN CALL BRAD FOR HELP!” The panel's
dialogue, which is plainly disconnected from the rest of the story's plot, lends a satirical element
to the piece.

Sources:

Tate. (n.d.). Pop art – Art Term. Retrieved October 3, 2021, from https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-

terms/p/pop-art
Horn, S. (2018, September 25). What is Pop Art? Techniques, Artists, and Examples that Shaped

the Movement. Invaluable. https://www.invaluable.com/blog/what-is-pop-art/

MoMA | Andy Warhol. Campbell’s Soup Cans. 1962. (n.d.). Pop Art. Retrieved October 3, 2021,

from https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/andy-warhol-campbells-soup-cans-

1962/

Davis, C. (2020, June 25). POP Art Artists and Their Famous Artworks. TheCollector.

https://www.thecollector.com/pop-art-artists-famous-artworks/