Here are some facts about Pop Art.
- Pop art, or popular art, was an art movement of the 1950s and 60s in America and Europe. It made use of popular imagery, such as comics, films, advertising and household objects.
- The movement was a reaction against the traditions of accepted art. It often used bright colours such as red, blue, and yellow, as well as images of celebrities or fictional characters from TV or comics.
- Silk screen printing and collage were widely used techniques of the time. The movement had some things in common with the earlier Dada movement, which also used everyday objects.
- Eduardo Paolozzi is said to have created the first pop art work in 1952, called I Was a Rich Man’s Plaything. Paolozzi formed the Independent Group in London that same year.
- Some of the most famous pop artists included Richard Hamilton, David Hockney, and Jasper Johns. Another well-known pop artist was Peter Blake who designed one of the Beatles’ album covers.
- Andy Warhol was the most famous pop artist. His work consisted of prints using repeated images of familiar images from everyday life, including banknotes, soup tins, and Marilyn Monroe.
- Warhol also made experimental films, formed a rock group, and opened a nightclub. In 1968 he was shot and seriously wounded by a radical female writer.
- Another well-known pop artist was Roy Lichtenstein. His paintings and prints looked just like comic strips, including his most well-known work entitled Whaam!
- Some pop art works are among the most expensive paintings ever sold. In 2010 a painting of the American flag by Jasper Johns sold for about £70 million.
- London’s Tate Gallery is one of the best places to see pop art, along with New York’s Museum of Modern Art. The Andy Warhol museum in Pittsburgh is America’s largest museum devoted to a single artist.
