Pop Art More Art
Perhaps one of the most influential contemporary art movements, Pop art emerged in the 1950s. In stark contrast to traditional artistic practice, its practitioners drew on imagery from popular culture — comic books, advertising, product packaging and other commercial media — to create original Pop art paintings, prints and sculptures that celebrated ordinary life in the most literal way.
ORIGINS OF POP ART
- Started in Britain in the 1950s, flourished in 1960s-era America
- “This is Tomorrow,” at London's Whitechapel Gallery in 1956, was reportedly the first Pop art exhibition
- A reaction to postwar mass consumerism
- Transitioning away from Abstract Expressionism
- Informed by neo-Dada and artists such as Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg; influenced postmodernism and Photorealism
CHARACTERISTICS OF POP ART
- Bold imagery
- Bright, vivid colors
- Straightforward concepts
- Engagement with popular culture
- Incorporation of everyday objects from advertisements, cartoons, comic books and other popular mass media
POP ARTISTS TO KNOW
- Richard Hamilton
- Andy Warhol
- Marta Minujín
- Claes Oldenburg
- Eduardo Paolozzi
- Rosalyn Drexler
- James Rosenquist
- Peter Blake
- Roy Lichtenstein
ORIGINAL POP ART ON 1STDIBS
The Pop art movement started in the United Kingdom as a reaction, both positive and critical, to the period’s consumerism. Its goal was to put popular culture on the same level as so-called high culture.
Richard Hamilton’s 1956 collage Just what is it that makes today’s homes so different, so appealing? is widely believed to have kickstarted this unconventional new style.
Pop art works are distinguished by their bold imagery, bright colors and seemingly commonplace subject matter. Practitioners sought to challenge the status quo, breaking with the perceived elitism of the previously dominant Abstract Expressionism and making statements about current events. Other key characteristics of Pop art include appropriation of imagery and techniques from popular and commercial culture; use of different media and formats; repetition in imagery and iconography; incorporation of mundane objects from advertisements, cartoons and other popular media; hard edges; and ironic and witty treatment of subject matter.
Although British artists launched the movement, they were soon overshadowed by their American counterparts. Pop art is perhaps most closely identified with American Pop artist Andy Warhol, whose clever appropriation of motifs and images helped to transform the artistic style into a lifestyle. Most of the best-known American artists associated with Pop art started in commercial art (Warhol made whimsical drawings as a hobby during his early years as a commercial illustrator), a background that helped them in merging high and popular culture.
Roy Lichtenstein was another prominent Pop artist that was active in the United States. Much like Warhol, Lichtenstein drew his subjects from print media, particularly comic strips, producing paintings and sculptures characterized by primary colors, bold outlines and halftone dots, elements appropriated from commercial printing. Recontextualizing a lowbrow image by importing it into a fine-art context was a trademark of his style. Neo-Pop artists like Jeff Koons and Takashi Murakami further blurred the line between art and popular culture.
Pop art rose to prominence largely through the work of a handful of men creating works that were unemotional and distanced — in other words, stereotypically masculine. However, there were many important female Pop artists, such as Rosalyn Drexler, whose significant contributions to the movement are recognized today. Best known for her work as a playwright and novelist, Drexler also created paintings and collages embodying Pop art themes and stylistic features.
Read more about the history of Pop art and the style’s famous artists, and browse the collection of original Pop art paintings, prints, photography and other works for sale on 1stDibs.
2010s Pop Art More Art
Cotton, Screen, Mixed Media, Textile, Laid Paper
1990s Pop Art More Art
Offset
20th Century Pop Art More Art
Porcelain
Artist Comments
Artist Karen Barton displays a luscious still life of avocado halves set against a softly textured white backdrop. With skillful brushstrokes and palette knife ...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Oil
1980s Pop Art More Art
Paper, Lithograph, Offset
Early 2000s Pop Art More Art
Ceramic
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Metal
1960s Pop Art More Art
Lithograph, Screen
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Paper, Lithograph
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1960s Pop Art More Art
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15th Century and Earlier Pop Art More Art
Ceramic
1960s Pop Art More Art
Lithograph, Screen
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21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
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1960s Pop Art More Art
Lithograph, Screen
1960s Pop Art More Art
Textile, Screen
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21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
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Artist Comments
"Three sliders fully loaded with cheddar cheese, red onion, lettuce, and tomato, and garnished with pickles and cherry tomatoes on top!" exclaims artist Pat Doh...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Other Medium
Artist Comments
Artist Jaime Ellsworth expresses a white dog with a green collar. "As night falls, the dog on the hill sleeps peacefully under the stars and moon," narrates Jai...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
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Artist Comments
Artist John Jaster offers a playfully rendered forest filled with tall trees in vibrant hues of red, green, and blue. In his process, John creates stunning colo...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
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21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
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21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
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21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
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21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
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21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
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21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
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2010s Pop Art More Art
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist John Jaster portrays a fresh display of red and green grapes with a ripe pomegranate placed in a glass bowl. Set above a patterned table cloth, the glass reflects light and vibrant hues of pink that surrounds it. Bunches of grapes nest in the cloth's loose crease reminiscent of tiny bird eggs. The dark background highlights the scene completing the composition.
About the Artist
Artist John Jaster paints in a style he describes as realistic impressions, capturing colorful views of his adventures across the Americas. "People always ask me how I get such deep brilliant colors," says John. "The answer is layers. Since acrylic paint dries mostly transparent, it requires multiple layers of paint to build up to a specific color. With the right lighting that depth of layering is like sunshine glistening through clear water." In college, John felt a pull towards computer science and pursued a career in software architecture. Although the two paths may seem unrelated, John says his work in software strongly influences his artwork in terms of distilling complex systems without losing the magic and wonder. Today, John works from a large home studio with a fireplace, lots of natural light, and jazz playing in the background. Since 2010, John’s paintings have been displayed in over 90 juried exhibitions and published in leading art magazines and books.
Words that describe this painting: grapes, glass, bowl, pomegranate, tablecloth, still life, fruits, cloth, pop, acrylicpaint, pop, still life, acrylic painting, pink
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Acrylic
Artist Comments
A bold impressionistic painting of a Mandarin duck gliding across a pond with its swirling reflections rippling in the water by artist John Jaster...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Acrylic
Artist Comments
"Trix is a favorite cereal for the young and old," says artist Karen Barton. The familiar wide smile of the bunny stirs joy and the sweetness of childhood memor...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Oil
2010s Pop Art More Art
Felt
2010s Pop Art More Art
Screen