What Came Before Pop Art?

Art|Pop Art

Pop art was a revolutionary movement in the middle of the 20th century that brought a vibrant and colorful style to the world of art. It was a response to the more traditional art forms that had been around for centuries, and it quickly gained popularity with its bold, bright visuals. But what came before Pop art?

Before Pop art emerged, there were several other influential movements that shaped how we view and create art today. Abstract Expressionism was one of these movements, which began in the 1940s with artists such as Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning.

This style focused on creating abstract works of art using gestural brushstrokes, often with little or no discernible subject matter. These works were meant to evoke emotion from the viewer, rather than represent any particular thing.

Cubism was another important movement from the early 20th century. This style focused on representing objects or figures from multiple perspectives at once. Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque are two of the most well-known artists associated with this movement, who sought to explore space and form through their work.

Surrealism, meanwhile, was also popular during this time period. This style focused on representing dreamlike images that often incorporated elements of fantasy and imagination into their compositions. Salvador Dali is one of the most famous Surrealists who sought to explore our innermost thoughts and feelings through his artwork.

Futurism, which began in Italy in the early 20th century, was another major influence on Pop Art. This movement celebrated progress and technology by depicting machines in motion and incorporating industrial materials into their works. Artists such as Umberto Boccioni used bright colors and dynamic compositions to capture the spirit of this style.

These movements all had a major influence on Pop art when it emerged in the 1950s and 60s. Artists like Andy Warhol took inspiration from Abstract Expressionism by using bold colors and gestural brushstrokes in their work, while Roy Lichtenstein borrowed heavily from Cubism when creating his comic book-inspired pieces.

Pop Art eventually evolved into its own distinct form of artistic expression with its use of popular culture imagery and commercial advertising techniques. But without these earlier movements, it’s hard to imagine where Pop Art would have gone.

Conclusion:
What came before Pop Art were many influential movements such as Abstract Expressionism, Cubism, Surrealism, and Futurism which all played an important role in influencing Pop Art when it emerged later on in the mid-20th century. These styles provided inspiration for Pop Art’s bold use of color, dynamic compositions, subject matter drawn from popular culture imagery, as well as its commercial advertising techniques.