Think Andy Warhol invented Pop Art? Think again!

From Warhol to Lichtenstein, discover the secrets behind the bold and colorful world of the Pop Art movement

Who would have thought a can of Campbell’s chicken soup would make it into one of the most famous art museums in the world? Yet that’s exactly what Pop Art artist Andy Warhol managed to achieve when he took everyday images from popular culture and elevated them to the lofty realms of fine art.

Pop Art remains one of the most recognizable forms of modern art to this day. Inspired by commercial and popular culture, the movement used celebrities, comics, films, and everyday products to redefine our definition of fine art, and spark what can only be described as an artistic revolution.

But do you know how it really started? And the inspiration behind it?

Find out all you need to know in this video.

The Founders of Pop Art

“Popular, Transient, Expendable, Low cost, Mass produced, Young, Witty, Sexy, Gimmicky, Glamorous, Big business.” These were the words of artist Richard Hamilton, when he gave us the first description of Pop Art in 1957. Hamilton was part of a collection of artists, writers, and critics, called the Independent Group, who began meeting at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, 1952.

They used their meetings to challenge and debate traditional forms of fine art such as Abstract Expressionism, which they saw as pretentious and elitist, and aimed instead to make art more inclusive of popular culture. They didn’t know it then, but this group lay the foundations for many of the basic ideas behind Pop Art, and would go on to be recognized as the forerunners of the movement.

Popular, Transient, Expendable, Low cost, Mass produced, Young, Witty, Sexy, Gimmicky, Glamorous, Big business.

Comic Obsession

Artist Roy Lichtenstein is perhaps one of the most famous names in the world of Pop Art, but his inspiration came from a rather unusual source: comic strips. You only have to look at works such as Whaam! and Drowning Girl to appreciate the techniques borrowed from the world of comic art, including Ben-Day dots (a commercial printing technique that allows an artist to create tone and shading), speech bubbles, and bold outlines. By bringing the “low art” of comic strips to his high art style, Lichtenstein challenged the art industry to reconsider how they defined art itself, one of the movement’s many great achievements.

Repetition, repetition, repetition

You’re probably familiar with the many faces of Marilyn Monroe, recreated again and again through silkscreen printing by Andy Warhol. But why the repetition? Why not just create a one-off, exclusive piece like other artists? The answer may lie in the highly consumer-driven culture of the time.

The period following the Second World War saw a radical change in the production of consumer goods - things could now be made faster, cheaper, and more efficiently. Then came the economic boom of the 1960s, which saw a sharp increase in consumerism and mass production. Inspired by the imagery from popular culture and everyday consumer goods, Warhol began to print the same images time after time. By “mass producing” his own artwork, Warhol both celebrates and criticizes this shift in consumer culture, and calls into question the importance of authenticity and originality so highly valued by the Abstract Expressionist painters who came before him.

A man’s world?

The most famous names in Pop Art tend to be men’s, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t plenty of talented female artists working to get themselves noticed at the time. Pauline Boty and Evelyne Axell are just two examples of women who used Pop Art to explore the topics of female sexuality and desire in their work.

Some women came from the most unlikely backgrounds, such as Corita Kent, a nun who was so inspired by Warhol’s work, she began creating her own Pop Art as a tool for political and social activism. But it wasn’t easy for female artists, and they had to work hard to get themselves noticed. Artist Yayoi Kusama, known for her polka dots and infinity installations, actually accused Warhol of plagiarism, and covered up the windows of her New York studio to stop anyone peaking in and stealing her ideas.

The price of fame

We all know that works by the big names in the art world can fetch some high prices at the auction house, and Warhol is no different. But what was his most expensive piece? Surprisingly, it wasn’t his Turquoise Marilyn (80 million USD in 2007) or his 8 Elvises (100 million USD in 2008), but Silver Car Crash, depicting the gruesome aftermath of a road accident, that beat his other work to the post in 2013 when it reached an impressive 105.4 million USD at a Sotheby’s auction. The buyer remains a mystery to this day!

Do you know any interesting facts about Pop Art? Tell us in the comments below! Or perhaps you’re interested in learning the same screen printing techniques used by Pop Artists in their famous work? Then check out this course: Screen Printing on Paper by Barba.

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