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
Acrylic
Artist Comments
"Hot sauce is a condiment some people cannot live without," says artist Karen Barton. The clear glass delicately captures the surrounding light while showcasing...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Oil
2010s Pop Art More Art
Archival Paper, Giclée
2010s Pop Art More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
"I wanted to try to capture the excitement of Times Square on a chilly early winter afternoon," shares artist Leroy Burt. "The islan...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Acrylic
2010s Pop Art More Art
Plastic, Vinyl
Artist Comments
With a determined expression, a Pointer leaps out of the water over a colorful beach ball. Artist Jeff Fleming describes his painting style as kinetic impressionism. He started the piece with a pencil sketch on the canvas, then with gloved hands, he applied oil paint using his fingers. Details were later added using brushes. Once these layers of paint dried, he moved the piece to his studio floor. "At this point, I whisked paint in random but authoritative strokes - a speckling technique which replicates water splashing."
About the Artist
Artist Jeff Fleming uses fingerpainting to create exuberant portraits of dogs. Growing up in Southern California, Jeff was first introduced to fingerpainting in kindergarten. He painted through high school and college and won several art awards, including Best of Show in a city wide student competition. After graduating with a degree in journalism and advertising, he went to work as an art director. For the next 40 years, he created print, radio and television ads for a number of top agencies. "After retiring in 2019, the clouds of stress and pressure cleared and allowed me to set my creative energy free," says Jeff. He began developing new techniques focused on the excitement and energy of painting. Today, he uses a variety of methods and tools, including fingerpainting wearing nitrile gloves, traditional paint brushes, bamboo shish kebab sticks, kite string, spraypaint and splattering. While working, Jeff always listens to music, including Broadway musicals, dance music and rhythmic Hawaiian tunes.
Words that describe this painting: Pointer, dog, impressionism, Iris Scott...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Oil
2010s Pop Art More Art
Acrylic
1960s Pop Art More Art
Offset
1980s Pop Art More Art
Lithograph
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Early 2000s Pop Art More Art
Paper, Giclée
Artist Comments
A pop art-style portrait of a powerful leopard, surrounded by bursts of bright vivid colors and flowing brushwork. The big cat stares into the distance, undi...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Jessica JH Roller depicts two mysterious barn owls against a striking red backdrop. The wide-eyed birds live peacefully at an ow...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Paper, Giclée
2010s Pop Art More Art
Resin, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Jessica JH Roller paints a primitivist portrait of her cat, Rachel. With her sleek black fur and striking yellow eyes, the feline's electric personality ...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Sally Adams depicts a red cardinal perching on a thin branch. She paints the bird with refined detail and realism. "Its appear...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Jessica JH Roller crafts a visual tale of a playful interaction between creatures of the night. "Long before the break of day, a bat enters a home, awake...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Acrylic
2010s Pop Art More Art
Metal
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Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art More Art
Plastic, Panel
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Canvas, Acrylic
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Canvas, Color
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Canvas, Color
1990s Pop Art More Art
Paint, Paper, Pencil
1990s Pop Art More Art
Paint, Paper
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Canvas, Color
1990s Pop Art More Art
Paint, Paper, Pencil
1990s Pop Art More Art
Paint, Paper
1990s Pop Art More Art
Paint, Paper, Pencil
1990s Pop Art More Art
Paint, Paper, Pencil
1990s Pop Art More Art
Paper, Pencil
2010s Pop Art More Art
Screen
2010s Pop Art More Art
Canvas, Tempera