Pop art is an art movement that emerged in the 1950s as a reaction to abstract expressionism. The term “pop art” was coined by British critic Lawrence Alloway in 1958 to describe the work of British artist Richard Hamilton, who was a pioneer of the movement.
Pop art was a radical departure from traditional forms of painting and sculpture, as it focused on mass-produced items and everyday objects. This new style of art sought to challenge traditional notions of what constituted fine art and to make art accessible to a wider audience.
Pop artists were inspired by the vibrant colors and bold shapes found in popular culture, such as advertisements, comic books, magazine covers, and films. By incorporating these elements into their works, pop artists sought to blur the boundaries between high and low culture. They embraced popular culture as an essential part of life in post-war America and used it as a tool for self-expression.
Pop artists also drew inspiration from other sources, such as Pop music. Musicians like Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and Little Richard were hugely influential on pop culture at the time.
Their music provided a soundtrack for the emerging youth culture that pop artists celebrated in their works. As well as musical influences, pop artists also incorporated elements from Dadaism and surrealism into their works.
The primary purpose of pop art was to challenge traditional conceptions of what constituted fine art, while bringing images from popular culture into artistic expression. Pop artists were inspired by modern technology and mass media, using everyday objects to create vivid images with bold colors and sharp lines. They drew inspiration from popular music, Dadaism, surrealism and other sources in order to create works that were accessible yet meaningful.
In conclusion, what inspired the production of pop art was a desire by its creators to challenge traditional notions of what constituted fine art while making it more accessible for everyone with its use of everyday objects from popular culture such as advertisements and comic books with bold colors and sharp lines combined with music from rock ‘n’ roll legends like Elvis Presley or Little Richard.