pop art Archives - Primary Facts

Keith Haring Facts and Information

James

Here are some facts about the American Pop-Artist, Keith Haring.

Keith Haring was born in Pennsylvania, USA in 1990.
His father was a keen cartoonist and Keith became interested in art at a very young age.
Some of his early influences included: Walt Disney cartoons, Dr Seuss, Charles Schultz and the animated characters in The Bugs Bunny Show.
When he was a teenager, Keith Haring hitchhiked across America selling T-shirts decorated with his own designs.
He was inspired by The Art Spirit – a book by Robert Henri.
He worked as a maintenance man at Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. this gave him a chance to explore artwork by Jackson Pollock, Mark Tobey and Jean Dubuffet.
He was also inspired by the work of Pierre Alechinsky, and this made him think about combining writing and characters to form large images.
In 1978 he studied painting at New York’s School of Visual Arts.
He enjoyed drawing in chalk on unused advertising boards at subways and stations.
He went on to organise exhibitions at Club 57, and his work started to incorporate symbols (including barking dogs, hearts and flying saucers).
He created more than 50 public works of art between 1982 and 1989.

His work featured as the background for the Philidelphia Live Aid stage, and he collaborated with the fashion designer Vivienne Westwood.
In 1986 he opened Pop Shop, selling his work to the public at reasonable prices.
In 1988 Keith Haring was diagnosed with AIDS, and he died in 1990 at the age of 31.
During his life, he formed friendships with many celebrities including: Madonna, Will Smith, Yoko Ono and Grace Jones. He was also very close to Andy Warhol.
His work was bold, bright and was heavily influenced by Pop Art and graffiti and street art.

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Romero Britto: Facts and Information

James

Here are some facts about the artist Romero Britto.

Romero Britto is a painter, printmaker, and sculptor, and his work is influenced by pop art, cubism and street art.
His work often includes bold patterns, bright colours, playful themes and hard-edged compositions.
Romero was born in 1963 in Recife, Brazil.
In 1983 he left Brazil to go to Paris, France, and he discovered the works of Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse.
In 1988 he was selected (along with Andy Warhol and Keith Haring) for Absolut Vodka’s artist showcase.
In 1989 he moved to Miami, Florida, USA and set up a studio in Coconut Grove.
His work is on display in dozens of countries all over the world, including: United States, Singapore, Israel, South Korea, Brazil and England.
Britto is self-taught, and when he was a child he used to paint on any scraps of paper or cardboard he could get his hands on, often trying to recreate the work of Toulouse Lautrec.
He has collaborated with many brands, including: Audi, Bentley, Disney, Evian, Mattel, Coca-Cola and FIFA.
Romero Britto has illustrated several children’s books.
He supports more than 250 charitable causes.
He is one of the most licensed artists in history. His work is everywhere!
Britto has completed portraits for Elton John, Michael Jackson, Muhammed Ali and Queen Elizabeth.

Who Was Roy Lichtenstein: Facts and Information

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Here are some facts about Roy Lichtenstein.

Roy Lichtenstein was one of the leaders of the pop art movement. His work, inspired by comic strip art and advertising imagery, were often humorous, designed to express the subject matter in a tongue-in-check way.

Roy Fox Lichtenstein was born in New York City on 27th October 1923. His father was involved in real estate.
When he was young, Roy Lichtenstein would often draw portraits of jazz musicians playing on stage.
In 1939, he attended the Art Students League of New York, and took some art classes taught by Reginald Marsh, an American painter.
He then went on to study at Ohio State University, but he had to leave due to World War 2.
Between 1943 and 1946 Lichtenstein served as a military artist, draughtsman and orderly.
After the conclusion of World War 2, Roy completed his studies at Ohio. He remained at the university for another ten years, working as an art instructor.
His first solo exhibition was in New York in 1951.
His work during the 1950s was influenced by Cubism, Expressionism and Abstract Expressionism.
In the late 1950s, Roy Lichtenstein started to add hidden images (Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny for example) to his work.
In 1961, Roy Lichtenstein started to produce his first pop art paintings. Look Mickey feature the images of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.
In 1961 and 1962, Lichtenstein produced images of household objects, such as: golf balls, running shoes and hot dogs.
Other Roy Lichtenstein comic strip works include: Drowning Girl (based on an image from DC Comics), and Whaam!. These pieces of art are often criticised for being merely copies of comic book art, but Roy Lichtenstein argued that he took a small image and altered the scale, colour and context, making it possible for people to view the artwork it in a gallery and view it from a different perspective.
In the late 1960s, Roy Lichtenstein began his Modern Painting and Modern Sculpture. He also reproduced famous works by Vincent van Gogh, Mondrian, Cezanne and Picasso in a geometric, comic book style.
He took numerous commissions during his lifetime, including producing a artwork for the bedroom of Gunter Sachs (a famous art collector), sculptures in in New York, Miami and Barcelona. In 1994 he completed the Times Square Mural for the Times Square subway stop, and he designed the logo for DreamWorks Records.
Roy Lichtenstein died on 29th September 1997, aged 73. He was suffering with pneumonia.
Images created by Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol were used in the U2 PopMart Tour.
His artworks now change hands for millions of dollars. Sleeping Girl sold for more than $40 million in 2012 and Woman with Flowered Hat went for more than $55 million in 2013.

What next? Discover some facts about other famous artists.