Pop Art

Abbreviation of the English term popular art, Pop art is an artistic movement created in England by the critic Lawrence Alloway, at the beginning of 1950s, based on that period's mass culture (television, advertising, stars, magazines, popular cinema …). Pop art arises from the Independent Group, artists drew their inspiration from the cinema, advertising and consumer society. This new artistic language shall spread very fast, particularly in the US from 1959-1960, where artists are going to bring a new focus on the object of the everyday life based on a typical and local representational tradition making reference to the painting of Hopper and Stuart Davis.

It is during 1960s that Pop art is going to develop completely with its main representatives: Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, James Rosenquist or George Segal …These artists refuse any reference to the subjective emotion and to lyrico-dramatic gesture, advocating the use of images seemingly neutral and objects connected to mass communications and to daily life. For example: Andy Warhol' Campbell Soup, 100 Cans (1962, h/t, 183 x 132 cms, Buffalo, Albright-Knox Art Gallery), here it monumentalizes and multiplies an object of mass consumption and sets it up as an icon of the post industrial society. He is going to fine tune screenprinting technique allowing it to multiply in infinity these images of popular culture. Thus in the US, Andy Warhol and its Factory are going to create a mythical form of Pop Art but very quickly this movement is going to get out of breath then eventually decline.