Who Started Pop Art?

Art|Pop Art

Pop art is an art movement that began in the mid 1950s in Britain and the United States. Its roots can be traced to Dadaism and Surrealism, both of which challenged traditional ideas of art by emphasizing the illusory nature of reality. Pop art was born out of a desire to express and explore popular culture, and its practitioners sought to capture the mass-produced objects and images that surrounded them.

The movement was largely spearheaded by two American artists, Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. Warhol is widely credited as the founder of Pop art; he was known for his bold use of colors, repetition, and commercial imagery.

His work often featured everyday objects such as Campbell’s soup cans and Coca-Cola bottles, which he presented in a straightforward manner without any alteration. Lichtenstein took a different approach; he used comic book panels as his source material and employed Ben-Day dots to create precisely rendered works.

In Britain, Richard Hamilton was another significant figure in the movement. He is credited with coining the phrase “Pop Art” in a 1955 essay titled “Just What Is it That Makes Today’s Homes So Different?” His work often focused on consumer goods such as cars and cigarettes, but he also had an interest in pop culture figures such as Brigitte Bardot. Other notable British artists associated with Pop Art include David Hockney, Peter Blake, Patrick Caulfield, R.B Kitaj, Joe Tilson, Allen Jones and Derek Boshier.

Conclusion:

Pop Art began in the mid 1950s as an attempt to explore popular culture. The movement was led by American artists Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, while British artist Richard Hamilton was also an important figure in its development. While their approaches differed slightly from one another their works were united by their celebration of modern life.