The origins of Pop Art are often traced back to England in the early 1950s. The term “Pop Art” was first coined by British art critic Lawrence Alloway in 1956, and is a combination of the words “popular” and “art.” It is a style of art that emerged from the popular culture of the time, including advertising, television and comic books.
Pop Art was initially seen as an extension of Dadaism, a movement that had begun in Europe in the early 1900s. Dadaism was an anti-establishment movement which rejected traditional forms of art and sought to create something new and revolutionary. Though Pop Art has come to be known for its use of bright, bold colours and kitschy imagery, it also drew from other artistic movements such as Surrealism and Cubism.
The most famous British Pop Artists include Richard Hamilton, Peter Blake, David Hockney and Allen Jones. Hamilton is considered to be one of the founders of the movement, with his work often taking inspiration from popular culture such as advertising.
Blake is known for his iconic album cover designs for The Beatles’ Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band album and other 1960s bands such as The Who. Hockney is celebrated for his bright paintings depicting British life while Jones’ sculptures are instantly recognisable due to their vivid colours and abstract shapes.
The influence of Pop Art can be seen across all aspects of contemporary culture; it has been used in fashion design, graphic design, music videos and even video games. Its wide appeal has made it one of the most popular art movements in history.
It is clear that Pop Art originated in England during the 1950s with artists such as Richard Hamilton leading the way in creating this new visual language. Since then it has gone on to become one of the most influential movements in modern day art and continues to be used widely across all aspects of popular culture today.
To conclude, it is evident that Pop Art did indeed originate in England during the 1950s with Lawrence Alloway coining its name at this time before artists such as Richard Hamilton began creating works inspired by popular culture which would come to define this pioneering movement.