How Did Pop Art Get Its Name?

Art|Pop Art

Pop art is an art movement that emerged in the mid-1950s in Britain and America. It was a reaction against the seriousness of abstract expressionism and sought to bring art back into the realm of everyday life.

Pop art was heavily influenced by popular culture, particularly advertising, comics, and product design. Its name comes from its use of popular imagery and its focus on consumerism.

Popularly referred to as “Pop”, it was coined by British art critic Lawrence Alloway in 1954 to describe the emerging movement. He used the term to refer to the use of materials from popular culture such as advertising and comic strips in artwork. The term also had a broader meaning, which encompassed a wider range of visual styles that included collage, assemblage, and photomontage.

The artists associated with Pop Art included Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, David Hockney, Richard Hamilton, Claes Oldenburg, Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns and many others who used popular imagery in their works. They embraced mass-produced images from magazines and advertisements as well as everyday objects such as Coke bottles or Campbell’s soup cans to make their works more accessible to a wider audience.

Pop Art became extremely popular during the 1960s when it moved away from its roots in fine art towards mass-produced items like posters and prints that could be enjoyed by everyone. This allowed pop artists to reach new audiences outside of galleries and museums who were drawn by the bold colors and humorous visuals found in pop art works.

Pop Art has since gone on to influence many aspects of contemporary culture including fashion and music videos where it is often used as an aesthetic reference point for visual style. Its impact can also be seen in graphic design where techniques like collage are commonplace.

How Did Pop Art Get Its Name?
Pop Art got its name from British art critic Lawrence Alloway who coined the term in 1954 as a way of describing artwork that was inspired by popular culture such as advertising and comic strips. He wanted his definition to encompass both fine art pieces as well as mass-produced items like posters which were becoming increasingly popular during this period of time. Over time Pop Art has evolved but its roots remain firmly planted in this use of imagery from everyday life which seeks to bring art back into the realm of ordinary people’s lives for everyone to enjoy!