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Pop Art

POP ART STYLE

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

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

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.

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Style: Pop Art
Chest (1968) Sculpture by Allen Jones
Chest (1968) Sculpture by Allen Jones

Chest (1968) Sculpture by Allen Jones

By Allen Jones

Located in Hong Kong, HK

Allen Jones (1937) Chest (1968) Sculpture. Silkscreen print on fiberglass published by Xartcollection 14 3/5 × 10 1/5 × 4 7/10 in 37 × 26 × 12 cm An iconic example of Jones's early w...

Category

1960s Pop Art

Materials

Fiberglass

Vivien
Vivien

Vivien

By Alex Katz

Located in Palm Desert, CA

“Vivien” is a figurative, silkscreen portrait by Pop artist, Alex Katz. The artwork is signed, in pencil, lower left "Alex Katz 43/60” Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1927, Alex Katz...

Category

2010s Pop Art

Materials

Screen

RBG  (Ruth Bader Ginsburg) by Craig Alan

RBG (Ruth Bader Ginsburg) by Craig Alan

By Craig Alan

Located in New York City, NY

LIMITED EDITION PRINT - Edition of 75 signed by the artist. Price for unframed. Ask us for custom framing options for this piece. Craig Alan is a Pop Surrealist, internationally rec...

Category

2010s Pop Art

Materials

Mixed Media, Acrylic

Cloned Dachshund with pet bottle.
Cloned Dachshund with pet bottle.

Cloned Dachshund with pet bottle.

By William Sweetlove

Located in Östermalm, Stockholms län

Signed/numbered 1/8 ex. Free shipment worldwide. Silver plated bronze. Acquired directly from the artist. William Sweetlove, born in Ostend, Belgium, in 1949, unites dadaism with su...

Category

2010s Pop Art

Materials

Bronze

Blue Face
Blue Face

Blue Face

By Roy Lichtenstein

Located in New York, NY

A stunning example of abstracted imagery easily identifiable as the work of Roy Lichtenstein, Blue Face was created by the artist in 1989 as a truly mixed me...

Category

20th Century Pop Art

Materials

Lithograph, Screen, Woodcut

Fairfax Avenue - Original Colorful Sunset Urban Figurative Still Life Artwork
Fairfax Avenue - Original Colorful Sunset Urban Figurative Still Life Artwork

Fairfax Avenue - Original Colorful Sunset Urban Figurative Still Life Artwork

By Fabio Coruzzi

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Italian artist Fabio Coruzzi merges painting and photography into one imaginative image that offers a new outlook on an otherwise ordinary urban scene. His artworks represent an auth...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art

Materials

Paper, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic

Porta Genova, Milan - Original Colorful Architecture Landscape Mixed Media Art
Porta Genova, Milan - Original Colorful Architecture Landscape Mixed Media Art

Porta Genova, Milan - Original Colorful Architecture Landscape Mixed Media Art

By Fabio Coruzzi

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Italian artist Fabio Coruzzi merges painting and photography into one imaginative image that offers a new outlook on an otherwise ordinary urban scene. His artworks represent an auth...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art

Materials

Paper, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Gel Pen, Graphite

Signed Kenny Scharf exhibition catalogues 1997/1998 (set of 2)
Signed Kenny Scharf exhibition catalogues 1997/1998 (set of 2)

Signed Kenny Scharf exhibition catalogues 1997/1998 (set of 2)

By Kenny Scharf

Located in NEW YORK, NY

Kenny Scharf 1997-1998: A set of 2 individual hand-signed Kenny Scharf exhibition catalog's published on the occasion(s) of: Kenny Scharf Tony Shafrazi Gallery, New York 1998: 100+ pages with bold, bright colors & superb overall print quality; features essays by Carter Ratcliff & Robert Farris Thompson; interview and texts by Tony Shafrazi, Dennis Hopper & Kenny Scharf. A definitive survey of the artist's early work & life. Hand-signed, inscribed & dated '98 by Scharf on the interior 1st page. 1st edition, 1998. Limited edition of 2000. Kenny Scharf Pop Surrealist: Salvador Dali Museum...

Category

1990s Pop Art

Materials

Paper, Offset

Umbrella Man (Retro Suite II), Peter Max
Umbrella Man (Retro Suite II), Peter Max

Umbrella Man (Retro Suite II), Peter Max

By Peter Max

Located in Fairfield, CT

Artist: Peter Max (1937) Title: Umbrella Man (Retro Suite II) Year: 1994 Edition: A.P.; 300, plus proofs Medium: Silkscreen on Arches paper Size: 11 x 10.5 inches Condition: Excellen...

Category

1990s Pop Art

Materials

Screen

Original Barbara Kruger Vinyl Record Art
Original Barbara Kruger Vinyl Record Art

Original Barbara Kruger Vinyl Record Art

By Barbara Kruger

Located in NEW YORK, NY

Vintage original Barbara Kruger Record Art, 1994 Off-set lithograph on vinyl record cover Measure: 12 x 12 inches Minor shelf wear; in otherwise good vintage condition. Very cool fr...

Category

1990s Pop Art

Materials

Lithograph, Offset

Espoir
Espoir

Espoir

By Joel Moens de Hase

Located in Nottingham, GB

Limited edition Photographic Mosaic. Edition of 8 Joel creates these contemporary pieces by adding lots of tiny images of the female form to make up the larger image. These small p...

Category

2010s Pop Art

Materials

Mosaic

Athletes, Impressionist Lithograph by Sandro Chia
Athletes, Impressionist Lithograph by Sandro Chia

Athletes, Impressionist Lithograph by Sandro Chia

By Sandro Chia

Located in Long Island City, NY

Artist: Sandro Chia, Italian (1946 - ) Title: Athletes Year: 1988 Medium: Lithograph, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 300 Image Size: 29.5 x 21.5 inches Paper Size: 34 in. x ...

Category

1980s Pop Art

Materials

Lithograph

Enduring Beauty Marilyn Monroe by Craig Alan

Enduring Beauty Marilyn Monroe by Craig Alan

By Craig Alan

Located in New York City, NY

LIMITED EDITION PRINT - Edition of 75 signed by the artist. Price for unframed. Ask us for custom framing options for this piece. Craig Alan is a Pop Surrealist, internationally rec...

Category

2010s Pop Art

Materials

Mixed Media, Acrylic

Marilyn, Pop Art Lithograph by Erró
Marilyn, Pop Art Lithograph by Erró

Marilyn, Pop Art Lithograph by Erró

By Erró

Located in Long Island City, NY

A lithograph by Icelandic Pop artist Erro. Like many other noteworthy Pop artists, Erro drew inspiration for his style and subjects from popular media, focusing mostly on comic books...

Category

Early 2000s Pop Art

Materials

Lithograph

Kenny Scharf illustrated announcements 1995
Kenny Scharf illustrated announcements 1995

Kenny Scharf illustrated announcements 1995

By Kenny Scharf

Located in NEW YORK, NY

Kenny Scharf Cosmic Tavern: A set of 2 rare 1990s announcement cards designed by Scharf on the occasion(s) of the grand-opening of the Kenny Scharf Cosmic Tavern - a VIP room designe...

Category

1990s Pop Art

Materials

Offset

Andy Warhol Most Wanted Men exhibit poster 1988
Andy Warhol Most Wanted Men exhibit poster 1988

Andy Warhol Most Wanted Men exhibit poster 1988

By Andy Warhol

Located in NEW YORK, NY

Vintage Andy Warhol Most Wanted Men Exhibition Poster: Gagosian Gallery, New York May 1-June 30, 1988: A rare 1980s large sized Warhol exhibition poster that would look fantastic fr...

Category

1960s Pop Art

Materials

Lithograph, Offset

New York Night, Vintage Large Modernist Pop Art Sllkscreen
New York Night, Vintage Large Modernist Pop Art Sllkscreen

New York Night, Vintage Large Modernist Pop Art Sllkscreen

By Tom Slaughter

Located in Surfside, FL

5-color silkscreen on 2-ply museum board. edition of 60 hand signed and numbered. American, 1955-2014 Born in 1955, Tom Slaughter’s career began in 1983 with his first exhibition at the Drawing Center in New York City. Since, he has had more than 20 solo shows in cities including San Francisco, Miami, London, Vancouver, Cologne and Fukuoka, Japan. Slaughter had worked extensively with master printer, Jean Russell at Durham Press, creating numerous limited edition prints using his signature bold primary colors. He worked as a printmaker in collaboration with Durham Press for 25 years, and his editions are included in the permanent collections of MoMA and the Whitney Museum of American Art. He illustrated twelve children’s books, including “Boat Works,” “Do You Know Which Ones will Grow? ” – a 2011 Notable American Library Association book of the year – and collaborations with Marthe Jocelyn such as “ABC x 3,” “Same Same,” and “123.” These books have been translated into six languages. Slaughter also worked for the last ten seasons as the Art Director for the New Victory Theater. As a designer, he created everything from t-shirts to skateboard decks, beach towels as well as a line of wallpaper for Cavern Home. Tom Slaughter, an artist, designer, and illustrator, passed away on October 24, 2014. In his Pop-inflected prints, drawings, illustrations, paintings, and design work Tom Slaughter exudes a love of life. He makes few distinctions between his various artistic endeavors; “I paint, draw, cut paper, use a computer, and even an iPhone—it’s all the same hand,” he says. In a 2001 print...

Category

1990s Pop Art

Materials

Screen

Reut Harel: Forever - Giclee print on canvas. 39.3/31.5”
Reut Harel: Forever - Giclee print on canvas. 39.3/31.5”

Reut Harel: Forever - Giclee print on canvas. 39.3/31.5”

Located in Tel Aviv, IL

Reut Harel is a Pop Art artist who works in Tel Aviv and creates colorful, optimistic, vibrant art that combines detailed elements and emotions. Her works are characterized by a tend...

Category

2010s Pop Art

Materials

Giclée

DRC
DRC

DRC

By Campbell La Pun

Located in PARIS, FR

Unique and original painting, ready to hang. Campbell La Pun’s unique spray can paintings merge street art sensibilities with vibrant pop culture influences, transforming ordinary s...

Category

2010s Pop Art

Materials

Spray Paint, Wood Panel

Saint Liberty, Pop Art Screenprint by Greg Constantine

Saint Liberty, Pop Art Screenprint by Greg Constantine

By Greg Constantine

Located in Long Island City, NY

Artist: Greg Constantine, American (1938 - ) Portfolio: Liberty Collection Title: Saint Liberty Year: 1986 Medium: Silkscreen, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 500 Paper Siz...

Category

1980s Pop Art

Materials

Screen

Pop Art art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Pop art available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add art created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, orange, red, purple and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Jack Mitchell, Andy Warhol, Peter Max, and Heidler & Heeps. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Paper and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Pop Art, so small editions measuring 0.4 inches across are also available.