Breaking rules and bordering on provocation, that's what pop art is all about, an art that

captivated many people and still continues to give people something to talk about, a style
that transcends all cultural themes showing them in a very particular way. For many years
this style has been changing, but precisely those changes are the ones that have made it
grow more.

I will show you what it is, its emergence, characteristics and its main artists.

¿POP Art What is it?

Also known as "Modern Art", it was born in 1950 in England and the United States. This style
was focused on showing everyday aspects of those times, references to comics,
advertisements and films, it could also be said that it was a reflection of society showing
consumerism and materialism.

POP Art has a very simple and direct way of showing itself, it is a style for all public, that is
to say that it can be understood by any person, it is not a difficult art to digest like
impressionism, abstract, even Salvador Dali.

The style consists of taking images or objects to combine them with others, thus highlighting
or framing banal aspects or some sense.

Characteristics of POP Art

Inspiration by objects: The artists sought to represent those objects or personalities of the
time, for example Comics, political idols, celebrities, collages, traffic posters and other
everyday objects. All this generated an affinity with the public and a quick understanding
especially among young people since it was something common for them to see them.
Wide repertoire of objects : Ancient ladies? Beautiful renaissance women? No, nothing like
that. POP Art took common objects and they knew very well how to take advantage of them.
The fact of taking everyday figures turned it into something satirical and provocative, far from
the traditional.

A clear example of this is Andy Wharhol, before the birth of this style to do something like
this would have been inconceivable.

Andy Wharhol - Campbell's Soup

History of POP Art

The pop art movement emerged in the mid-twentieth century, specifically was a response to
abstract art, as they thought that it showed a very different reality in which he lived and left
aside the present.

The first steps of POP Art were taken by a group of young people in England who wanted
new artistic expressions. In 1952 the "Independent Group" was formed by writers, painters,
sculptors and critics. This group was the precursor of this style, as members were Richard
Hamilton and Eduardo Paolozzi.

Richard Hamilton is considered the first POP artist for the creation of his collage "What
makes today's homes so different, so striking" presented for the Whitechapel Gallery in
London in 1956.
 Richard Hamilton - Just What Is It That Makes Today's Homes So Different, So Appealing? (1956)

The definition of POP Art was coined by John Mchale in 1954 but is attributed to the critic
Lawrence Alloway for his essay entitled "The Art and the Mass Media".

Years later POP Art was officially presented and consolidated in 1961 in an exhibition along
with other artistic works.
Article edited by Esteban Javier for the "Clear Voice" platform