Where Does the Term Pop Art Come From?

Art|Pop Art

Pop Art is an art movement that rose to prominence in the mid 1950s. It has been described as “the first truly international modern art movement” as it spread rapidly to the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy. The term “Pop Art” was first coined by British art critic Lawrence Alloway in 1954.

The movement was a direct reaction to the abstract expressionist school of painting that had been dominant in the 1940s and 1950s. Pop artists sought to bring the everyday world into their work by incorporating images from popular culture such as advertisements, comic books, and mundane objects. Pop Art also embraced commercial techniques such as screen-printing and lithography, which allowed them to create large editions of prints at a relatively low cost.

The most famous Pop artists include Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Claes Oldenburg and Robert Rauschenberg. All of these artists were interested in exploring how mass media affected people’s perception of reality and how it could be used to manipulate people’s emotions and ideas about the world around them. Warhol famously said “I want to be a machine” referring to his use of mechanical processes to create his works.

Though Pop Art began in the 1950s it continues to influence contemporary artists today who often draw inspiration from its bright colors, bold shapes and images from popular culture. It also has had a lasting influence on design with numerous products taking inspiration from its bold graphic style.

Conclusion:
The term “Pop Art” was first coined by British critic Lawrence Alloway in 1954 and has since become one of the most influential art movements of the twentieth century. Its bright colors, bold shapes, commercial techniques like screen-printing and lithography have had a lasting impact on both art and design today.