National Pop Art Day: History, significance, and unknown facts
January 28 is observed as Pop Art Day. The art movement emerged around the 1950s from the United Kingdom and the United States. The movement, inspired by popular and commercial culture in the West, was heralded as 'anti-art' for refusing to abide by contemporary art standards of the time. Here are some history, significance, and other unknown facts about the pop art movement.
Pop art defied classic and fine arts
Pop art emerged as a rebellion against classic fine art. It included imagery from popular and mass culture, such as advertising, comic books, and mundane mass-produced objects. Pop art, as the name suggests, is made out of popular subjects and is designed for the mass audience. It is witty, gimmicky, glamorous, low-cost, and aimed at the youth.
Techniques used in Pop art
Pop art is often created with unusual and nonsensical combinations of randomly found or ready-made objects. It includes imagery of popular, political, or social phenomena. Often arranged in collages, these objects or images are copied, borrowed, or sourced from mass popular culture. Pop art often challenged conventional values propagated by the mass media, from notions of femininity and domesticity to consumerism and patriotism.
Pop art focused on real and relevant matters
The focus on the real and relevant subject matter, as opposed to the classic approach, is what is so unique about pop art. This movement democratized art by making it accessible to the masses, and not just limited to the elites. Since it drew inspiration from commercial and cultural figures, the artworks were recognized and respected by the general public.
Artists who shaped the pop art movement
In Britain, Eduardo Paolozzi, Richard Hamilton, Ray Johnson, and Larry Rivers played an important role in shaping the pop art movement. Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns among others were key to the movement in the United States. Richard Hamilton has often been labeled the founding father of British pop art for outlining the aims and ideals of the movement.
Difference between American pop art and British pop art
Though both were inspired by similar subject matter, British pop art is seen as distinctive from American pop. In the US, pop art was inspired by success, beauty, and money that were driving a culture of celebrity worship during the 50s and 60s. British pop art was inspired by similar American culture, but based on what they perceived from the media.
