A Peek into the Art Movement That Rocked the 50s - Essay Example

A peek into the art movement that rocked the 50s What was it that made POP art so different, so appealing Art in 20th century recorded maximum upheavals. These hundred years saw many a movements in the world art scene, changing the very definition of art. The notion that canvas should display a 'superior subject' in a perfectly noble manner using oil as medium was given up by the artists who experimented with the newer techniques mediums and objects. In 1950s, another strong visual art movement emerged in Britain and United States. It rebuffed the elitist approach to art, treating kitschy and bland elements-beer cans, comic strips, and other paraphernalia as exponents of art. The use of such low subject matter and apparently uncritical treatment of the same caused horror in the art fraternity, taking critics by surprise. Nevertheless, taking a shift from abstract expressionism, the artists carried on their new found love Pop or Popular Art, drawing inspiration from popular and commercial culture to create something different, something new and appealing. Though Pop Art movement originated in Britain in the fifties, it was in America that it maxed out. In the meantime, Europe too witnessed a similar movement was called Nouveau Ralisme (New Realism). "We are accustomed to understand art to be only what we hear and see in theaters, concerts, and exhibitions, together with buildings, statues, poems, novels. . . All human life is filled with works of art of every kind - from cradlesong, jest, mimicry; the ornamentation of houses, dress, and utensils, up to church services, buildings, monuments, and triumphal processions. It is all artistic activity." Tolstoy's view on art became the prophecy for Pop artists and the movement gained momentum. Asserting that art was for all and considering minimalism quintessential, Pop art became immensely influential and came to be known as the major art movement of twentieth century. The first reference to Pop Art was made by a British art critic, Lawrence Alloway in an essay called, 'The arts and mass media'. He perhaps, was the first one to defend mass culture as an art form. Concerning the origins of Pop Art, Alloway said, "The term, originated in England by me, as a description of mass communications, especially, but not exclusively, visual ones." The earliest of paintings to be recognised as Pop art was a small 101/4 X 93/4 inches collage titled 'Just what is it that makes today's homes s different, so appealing' by British Artist Richard Hamilton along with John Mc Hale and John Voelcker for an exhibition titled, This is tomorrow, held in 1956 in London. The painting features the interiors of artist Mc Hale's home, where a body builder holds a big lollypop, on which the word 'Pop' is written. At a side on a sofa is a nude posing. The other elements in the collage are a comic book strip, a ham tine, newspaper and a tape recorder, a vacuum cleaner, television set and perhaps an image of the moon. Windows of this room seem to be open, giving a peek of a movie theatre. The modern city life depicts the essence of Pop Art. Images from newspapers, magazines and catalogues form the image of contemporary life. Interpretations of this piece of art are many. However, by and large, the collage seems to represent then new ideas of communication that the artists. The subject has been reworked many a times by Hamilton, including a 1992 version where a female body builder replaces the muscle man. Hamilton has created many remarkable pieces of art, the most famous being replica of Duchamp's, The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors (1965), Hommage a Chrysler corp. (1957), Interior (1964) etc. While Richard Hamilton can be rightly called precursor of Pop Art, American Artist Andy Warhol extended the Pop Art genre giving it new heights, newer dimensions. He experimented with different mediums-painting, sculpture; film, etc., his most famous work being Campbell's Soup Cans. During the 1960s, Warhol laid the foundation of his studio, The Factory in these years he sought not only to make art of mass-produced items but to mass produce the art itself. By proclaiming himself, a 'machine' that produced out mass of art, Warhol created great controversy, making his work much talked about and him all the more popular. His having a soft spot for market culture, troubled art evaluators and they accused him of being a propagator of consumerism. However, with time, it became all the more evident that the world art scene was to witness change and Warhol brought about the wind of change. Turning mundane images into art, Andy Warhol became the greatest Pop art icon. Few other of Warhol's works being Marilyn Diptych (1962), Chelsea girls (1966), Exploding Plastic inevitable, (1966), Queen Elizabeth II of United Kingdom (1985), Black Bean (1968) and Brillo Boxes (1964), Miller shoes etc. Besides Hamilton and Warhol, another very prominent crusader of the Pop culture was Roy Lichtenstein. His most famous work-Wham! (Acrylic & Oil on Canvas) is based on a comic book's 'All American Men of War' image. By way of using commercial art sources, Lichtenstein was successful in bringing forth highly emotional subjects deploying detached techniques. This leads the viewer to decipher the meaning of the painting himself. Among other central pop celebrities were Claes Oldenburg, Peter Blake, Caulfield, Hockney and Jasper Johns to name a few. The nature of Pop art was contemplative. Unlike Dada which was satirical in nature, this movement came across as upbeat. It negated high art system of Europe and abstract expressionism, finding the latter too pretentious and unnecessary. It rather involved glamour, and endorsed neon lights! Being mass produced, Pop art was low-cost and replaceable. It was for this movement, materials of daily life into art - comics, television, magazines and in short popular culture were viewed differently ironically and in a humourous way. Pop Art coincided with the youth and pop music phenomenon of the 1950s and '60s, and became synonymous to fashion and metropolitan culture of London and NY. An extension of Pop art can be found in street art of today in varied forms- traditional graffiti, sticker art, street posters, installations, etc. The basic purpose that street art serves is activism. Today it is being considered as an important via media of reaching the masses. Though a popular medium, street art is yet to be recognized and included in the main stream art. Among the popular street artists are Banksy, Barry McGee, Zevs, Judith Supine, Os Gemeos, to mention only a few. These artists have received acclamation from across the world. It is indeed these artists that are fulfilling what seemed to be the obligation of Pop Art that of setting art free from the restrictions of galleries and museums and bringing it to the masses. References: 1. Ocvirk, Bone, Stinson and Wigg Art Fundamentals Theory and Practise, 1969 2. Tolstoy Leo, Essay-'What is Art' 1896. 3. Alloway Lawrence, Pop Art the words. 1975. 4. Colton Joel and editors of Time Life books, Twentieth century. 1978. 5. http://en.wikipedia.org-Popart Read More