An Analysis of Pop Art: Origins, Styles and
Legacies
Introduction
The growth of art has been characterized by the
emergence of various movements, proponents of which
have fuelled the industry’s growth through the
provision of pieces that attract the interest of certain
groups of society. This essay seeks to analyze the
movement known as Pop Art.
To this end, a brief history of the movement shall be
given before the discussion delves into the themes and
styles that characterize the movement and the legacies
associated with the movement. Art Research, like any
other topical research, only attains academic credibility
once it provides a reference to other written works, as
well as provides a detailed exemplification of ideas
emerging in the discussion. In this regard, the research
for the current essay shall be guided by various
literature, on the topic. These include books, journals,
and published articles collected from both physical and
online libraries. By the end of the discussion, the essay
aims to comprehensively cover the subject of pop art in
such a way that readers can narrate the history and
origins of the art form, list several artists associated
with the movement as well as explain the themes and
styles they used to pass their message across.
The origins of pop art
The phrase Pop Art can be traced to art critic Lawrence
Alloway, in 1958, in his evaluation of the exhibition
titled This is Tomorrow (Tansey, 1980, p.113).
Studying the works of Richard Hamilton, Peter Blake
and David Hockney, Alloway pointed out that there
was a uniquely new approach to their styles, which he
linked to the popular art that had taken prominence in
American mass media (McCarthy, 2002, p.7). As a
result the form of art was for a while referred to as
popular art, much later adopting the shortened form of
the word popular, to simply remain as pop art.
Pop art is an art movement that sprung up in the 1950s
in the United Kingdom and the United States. This is
form of art set itself apart from the traditional forms of
art by the usage of lifted images from areas of popular
culture including advertisements (Tansey, 1980, p.76).
The material used in this form of art is more often than
not taken from its usual context and paired up with
other material, which is sometimes unrelated, in order
to pass a specific message. Because of this apparent
incongruence, most pieces of pop art are not generally
easily comprehensible. As such, sometimes pop-art
may not just sell as a piece of visually-appealing art,
but as a package of a given message (McCarthy, 2002
p.77). This form of art tends try and express certain
elements of a particular culture, and it distinctively
uses irony to get this message across. Another key
distinction of pop art from most other forms of art is
the utilization of mechanical methods of reproduction
and rendering (Jurgen, 2009, p. 96).
The origins of pop art were characterized by uniquely
specific characteristics, depending on the region. In the
United States for example, it developed as a form of
abstract expressionism, which at the same time drew
from hard-edged composition to deliver a message. In
this regard, a lot of irony and parody was put into use
in the development of pieces. In Britain, the
development of pop-art took an academic stance and it
used irony to try and illustrate how the popular culture
in America had a profound effect on the rest of the
world (Jurgen, 2009, p.3). As such, most of the modern
forms of British pop art drew inspiration from the
USA’s popular culture, but from an outsider’s
perspective. The main differences between works by
American and British artists, which eventually
reflected in their works, was that while the Americans
lived the experiences they put into their art, the British
were simply observers (Tansey, 1980, p. 217). To
some extent, pop art was seen as a form of developed
Dadaism. This is because both forms of art in some
instances studied the same subjects. However, pop art
tended to be less destructive and unlike the Dada
movement, it paid credence to the art present in mass
culture (Gopnik and Varnedoe, 1990, p.65).
The Independent Group, a conglomeration of artists in
the UK formed in 1952, was seen as one of the groups
that triggered the emergence of pop art (Tansey, 1980,
p.33). This group comprised artists as well as critics
who went out to offer insight the modernist reception
of culture. They also met regularly to challenge
traditional opinion on art. During the group’s meetings,
discussions went around popular American culture and
how it was shaped by elements such as film,
advertisements and technology (Haskell, 1984, p.117).
The scholars in the group studied the culture in
America and offered direction to the artists themselves,
especially regarding the subject content and the
materials to use. This group, by virtue of its varied
constituency was instrumental in the development of
pop art during the period, because their activities ended
up giving undue attention to the movement.
Pop art in America, started towards the end of the
1950s but got its fire in the 1960s (Osterwold, 2007,
p.6). During this period, advertising in industry in the
USA had started picking ideas from modern art and
ended up coming up with products that were of
exciting standards. As such the Americans, unlike their
British counterparts, had to use a consented effort in
order to distinguish their work from the highly-artistic
advertisements (Irving, 1978, p.255). The American
artists, by virtue of living the culture, also produced
pieces that had sentimental and humorous effects.
Their works were bolder and more impactful than that
of their British counterparts. This was shown by the
ways in which they played around with their subjects
of interests to come up with messages that were
sometimes provocative, but mostly interesting to
analyze.
At the beginning, Pop art had simultaneous movements
that were happening in England and America, and the
most successful (of these movements) was in America.
In New York names such as Claes Oldenburg, Andy
Warhol, James Rosenquist, Tom Wesselmann and Roy
Lichtenstein were already being sung about by those in
the art world (Osterwold, 2007, p.167). It was these
artists – their paintings and sculptures which celebrated
the style of urban culture. Comic strips, design,
photography and advertising more often than not with
critical and ironical intent sent shock waves through
the elitist art scene of New York (Honnef, 2004, p.52).
Pop art has generated enthusiasm since its beginnings,
and has continually grown in popularity. The works
that were produced still garnish an undiminished
appeal for young generations.
In Japan, pop art draws its inspiration from anime and
other forms of tradition Japanese expression. This
makes pop art from the regional uniquely identifiable
(McCarthy, 2002, p.18). Many followers of this art
movement in Japan borrow ideas from Japanese
Hentai, which is fundamentally sexually explicit
material. As such, their works end up being easily
catching the eye, while at the same time provoking a
lot of discussion. Some of the most famous pop artists
from Japan include Kaikai Kiki, Yoshitomo Nara and
Aya Takano, all of whom produced works that when
put on the global pedestal, have the distinct Japanese
look on them (Honnef, 2004, p.24).
Styles and themes
Pop art, being a movement that has been in existence
for over 60 years, has distinguishing characteristics
that set it apart from other forms of art. These
characteristics have been explained in detail below.
With depersonalization in mass society Pop art reacted
to the phenomenon with styles that were just as
impersonal. Its pictures had an equally objectifying
effect. The media had altered the relationship of mass
consciousness and individual subjectivity. Lichtenstein
has said that he owes his particular style to comics, but
does not owe his themes. The typography, pictorial
vocabulary along with the arrangement of texts and
visuals in the comic are taken from the aggressive
language of advertising.
In its initial forms, pop art assumed stances associated
with paintings. However, as it developed into a
uniquely independent style of art, it became more and
more liberal, using material associated with popular
trends bringing out pieces that not only depicted
reality, but also went ahead to leave an unprecedented
impact on society (Gopnik and Varnedoe, 1990, p.56).
Like with most other forms of art, the development of
styles pop art was by far and large experimental.
Artists who delved into the style did not have a
particular manual to follow, nor specifics on the kinds
of materials that they could use. As a result, the pieces
created were unique in their own specific rights,
especially when it came to the style of presentation and
the thematic backgrounds. Below are some of the
notable styles used by the fathers of pop art. Some of
their techniques have been adopted by their successors
even though latter-day pop-artists have the
considerable advantage of having a varied choice of
materials to work with.
Richard Prince followed established Pop systems with
his appropriation of existing images. He was associated
with Metro Pictures, a gallery in New York that
showed only representational work derived from the
mass media (Phillips, 1992, p.17). In his first solo
exhibition at the Metro he exhibited photographs of
people and ordinary goods taken straight from
advertising images. He later elaborated that he took the
motifs out of their original context and deprived them
of their intended purpose while stressing the
stereotyped similarity of the various excerpts by
showing them together (Irving, 1978, p.181). By this
move, Prince not only showed that art does not have to
be created from scratch, but also confirmed that any
material could be turned into a piece of art, as long as it
is in the right hands. The exhibition, made the viewers
take time to critically assess the personalities and items
that had previously been parts of a detailed
composition (Gopnik and Varnedoe, 1990, p.79). As
such the individuals who attended the exhibition could
easily tell more about the persons, in ways that they
could not when they were surrounded by text and other
items in the body of the posters.
Jasper Johns, one of the names associated with pop art
in the 1950s developed a distinct style that say him
incorporate real objects into his paintings (Weiss,
2007, p.93). He initially set out by including plaster
relief into his works and later went bold to use found
objects in his compositions. Johns’ most renowned
work is the painting titled Flag, whose inspiration came
from a dream of the USA flag (Weiss, 2007, p.213).
His other pieces also bore witness to consideration of
the irony associated with pop art. Most of his work
composed of flags, letter cut-outs and relief plasters
(Weiss, 2007, p.12). His style was more elaborate and
more labor intensive, compared to Prince’s style,
primarily because he had to use multiple techniques in
his works. For instance, aside from paintwork, Johns
needed to understand, how to work with plaster, as
well as come up with a better way of combining the
two, without one overshadowing the other
(Livingstone, 2000, p.56). The eventual product was
very difficult to replicate and individuals who tried to
do so ended up producing works that were uniquely
different. In this way Johns joined other artists in
confirming that it is virtually impossible to come with
a standardized style of producing pieces that qualify as
pop art.
Painters such as Keith Haring, Lee Quinones and John
Matos appropriated the New York City street culture
language: that of graffiti – drawn, sprayed or painted
on the walls of public buildings and subway systems
(McCarthy, 2002, p.78). They eventually transferred
these techniques onto canvas so that the works could
be bought and sold as commodities. Their initial
decision to place their work in the public arena from
which it was drawn was essential both in capturing a
transient moment and in effecting a genuine
convergence between their images as art and as signs
of popular culture. Their works found favour in the
eyes of the public because they were driven by issues
that were of public interest (Livingstone, 2000, p.54).
Their techniques were also both simple and visually-
appealing, such that by the time they transferred them
onto the canvas, they had already picked up a decent
amount of following. On canvas, they still retained
their spay-on styles, but combined them with cut-outs
and other improvised techniques to create uniquely
popular art pieces (Tomkins, 1980, 13). The three
artists are among the most influential as far as the
development of pop-art styles is concerned.
Robert Rauschenberg, a New York City artist first
made an impression as a pop artist in the 1950s
through his work, referred to as Painting Combines,
which saw the use of non-traditional material,
innovatively put together to form artworks (McCarthy,
2002, p.13). He made it a point to use material that was
readily available, including items picked from trash
and other items picked from the streets. Much later, he
started using images, alongside photographs, which he
transferred to the canvas using silkscreen techniques.
The artist has been quoted as saying that while
developing his art pieces, his inspiration came from the
fact that he intend to come up with an item that he
wanted to use material that he could not develop
himself (Haskell, 1984, p.136). According to him, this
approach had the element of surprise that was
associated with the items he collected. He is one of the
artists whose works were a cross between paintings
and sculptures. His technique was also among the most
complex of all the ones used by pop artists. This is
because for one to effectively implement, it, a thorough
knowledge of screen printing was needed as well as a
good hand in traditional painting (Livingstone, 2000,
p.59). The delicate nature of this style has made it one
of the least favorite in the field of pop art, with most
artists choosing to the less tactful methods of sticking
found items on a base. However, individuals that have
managed to study the technique agree that it yields
pieces that are more visually exciting and bearing even
stronger messages.
Warhol produced a series of Marilyn’s in 1962 to
reveal the authenticity of her image. He repeated a
photograph of her face – or her lips – in rows (Warhol,
1975, p.77). With this he translated the inflationary
character of her image into a mechanical and
meaningless form. He used a silk-screen technique he
arranged the designs in random sequence and transfers
them to canvas in an imprecise way. Her face is then
made up with various colors. This lack of subtly of her
makeup looks like a mask in which the viewer is
enticed to imitate and identify with. Warhol is able to
in-still a quality which is unpredictable and alienating.
Compositions appear off balance and full of tension
(Warhol, 1975, p.93). Within the context of art the
content gives a strikingly innovative quality. They are
unfamiliar and feel like something new, but the reality
is that they are commonplace. Like Rauschenberg,
Warhol took time in the creation of his pieces,
eventually coming up with techniques that only he
could replicate effectively (Livingstone, 2000, p.47).
His style was a complex combination of traditional
paint on canvas with collages, with the final product
being a well packaged message, which viewers could
decipher at first glance. Warhol’s silk-screen
technique, by its complexity clearly indicates that pop
art is not necessarily an easy form, as it may appear
from the final product (Michelson, 2001, p.57). His
works are actually testimony of mature artistry, giving
them the prominence that they have in the world of art.
Lichtenstein was able to identify and corner
contemporary stereotypes of reality while at the same
time keeping a distance as an artist, from both himself
and his subjects (Hapgood, 1994, p.66). Lichtenstein
pictures aim to objectify gestures and emotions. His
paintings have a look as if they were produced
mechanically, appearing perfect and quite anonymous.
Any record of imprecision, alteration or error was
erased. The comic strip has a number of other artistic
processing techniques. Lichtenstein reduces the
medium down to its basic elements, tightens the
pictorial coherence and simplifies the production
process of cartoon drawing (Hapgood, 1994, p.119). In
the compositions the relationships between the
characters to one another and also to their environment
is made absolutely plain, while at the same time
delineation of coloring, which include blue, red,
yellow, green and black and white. As Lichtenstein’s
Drowning Girl shows individuals cannot escape the
sentimentalism and stylization of the media. Society
has become a champion of personal catastrophes
(Gopnik and Varnedoe, 1990, p.52). Without
disclosing what has led to them the media
sensationalize catastrophes. Individual fate is far too
insignificant to dampen the optimism of the times.
Lichtenstein’s systematic approach leads to the
leveling of all content. His subjects are stereotypical
with abstraction so as to conform to a popular taste.
Pop art conceptions of style come from the central
them in art itself: art about art, the work of art as an
object, the act of painting, art history, painting
materials, composition (Gopnik and Varnedoe, 1990,
p.67). Pop artists considered their work as anti-art, in
relation to the traditional art. In Lichtenstein’s painting
Art the concept of art is brought into question. The
words which made the term Pop Art implies that art
was to become pop.
Outside America comic strips were also enjoying a
revival. In France rather than using established
characters, artists used their inventions against the
viewers’ knowledge of the comic strip art form. Artists
such as Francois Boisrond painted flat outlined motifs
in canvas and cardboard so that he could highlight their
spontaneous and ephemeral look (Madoff, 1997,
p.123). The most consistently pop in aspect, of all the
paintings that were produced in England during the
1980s were made by the Canadian artist Lisa Milroy.
Through her arrangement of painted images of objects
that are usually laid out in rows in accordance to a grid
system and sometimes in a more organic manner we
are invited to direct our gaze at these manufactured
items (Arnason, 1968, p.159). Items such as various
types of metal hinges, rows of identical gramophone
records, postage stamps, Roman coins and even Greek
pottery were well utilized in these artworks.
Barbra Kruger would combine printed slogans with
borrowed photographic images in a way that at first
glance could be confused with posters of printed
advertisements. With her subliminal association with
the mass media she was determined to decode and
render ineffective printed advertisements. Another
artist, Jenny Holzer integrated her inverted versions of
advertising into the public domain by printing
provocative messages on paper that she then fly posted
around the East Village in New York City. She also
began to incorporate the new technology of the diode
message board to broadcast her messages (Madoff,
1997, p.68). The uniqueness of her style drew from the
fact that she did not go the extents of developing a
complex technique, in the conveyance of her message.
The incorporation of new technologies in her art work
was also a first in the world of pop-art. This was a
possibility that could not have been envisioned before
her and even though her initial attempts were not
received with acclaim, her later works received the
kind of respect given to unique pieces of art
(Michelson, 2001, p.37). Kruger opened the world of
art to more possibilities as far as experimentation with
style was concerned, and that is why she has been
made a person of reference, in the study of pop art.
Keith Haring was a survivor and developed a cartoon
like pictographic into a style that looked anonymous. It
just happened that in functioned as his personal
signature (Gopnik and Varnedoe, 1990, p.88). The
boldness of the marks and simplistic linear motifs,
fluorescent color along with humor were used to offset
the sometimes violent and sexually provocative subject
matter of his work. He adapted his work to use as
badges, and set up his own shop in the East Village to
sell merchandise. Andy Warhol, who purchased work
by Haring and also became his friend, had said in 1975
that “making money is art and working is art and good
business is the best art” (Michelson, 2001, p.117 ). It
was in Haring’s commercialization of his work that
Haring turned himself into a Pop Artist during the 80s.
Pop art in both its traditional and modern forms
covered a vast range of themes. These included mass
production, mass culture and popular icons, as well as
abstraction. The inspiration of pop art came from by
everyday living (Lucy, 1966, p.89). This form of art,
however, comes with the twist of advocating for
cultural change, in terms of societal elements like anti-
authoritarian education, women liberation and an
objective approach to sexuality. This emergence of
new attitudes about life and culture came with new
approaches to self expression, which was well
represented in the art world, appearing as pop-art
(Livingstone, 2000, p.285). For instance, it was during
this period that women’s fashion was getting into the
limelight. The Hollywood effect had started getting
into society, with habits such as smoking appearing
elite and fashionable. All these aspects had found their
way into the advertising industry, which subsequently
saw them end up in pop-art, in the form of cuttings and
screen prints.
During the course of the 1960s themes such as murder,
the death of the individual and “scum” of the crime
world became prominent in Warhol’s work
(Michelson, 2001, p.112). His art portrays the fact
tragedy may make a person famous for fifteen minutes,
but that it is soon forgotten. “Life is cheapened by a
repetitive stream of banal Hollywood clichés. For a
person to become famous as a result of personal
tragedy is a rare enough event, and yet our society
expects such events as part of its daily diet.”
Legacies of pop art
Pop art, in its wake impacted the society and art scene
in remarkable ways. First, it came out as an inclusive
and relevant style of art (Livingstone, 2000, pp.21,
298). Its predecessors, such as abstract expressionism
did not leave as big a legacy in American and British
societies, primarily because the chosen subjects and
media of expression did not resonate well with the
general public. Pop art on its part picked on material
and topics that were of interest and easily-relatable to
by each and every member that had come in contact
with items of mass appeal such as product packaging
(Livingstone, 2000, p.158). As such, pop art drew
away from the elitist brand that had been tagged with
traditional forms of art and adopted a more populist
stance. Pop art was credited for opening up the world
of art to ordinary individuals. These were individuals
who appreciated art depending on how easily
recognizable it was. Pop art brought works that felt the
average person on the street feel less intimated to
attend an art gallery.
Pop art also had an impact of giving society a chance
to look at itself from deep within. In this regard,
instead of trying to undermine the bourgeois
community, like Dada did, it lay focus on the material
items of obsession that were distinguishable in
American society (Irving, 1978, p.244). These were
consumer items such as food, vehicles and sex. By use
of satire and irony, artists in the pop art era were in a
position to make critical commentaries to the society
(Livingstone, 2000, p.38). Pop art, like many other
forms of art that came before it, brought about certain
legacies that had hitherto not found prominence. This
impact was in the meaning, the choice of material and
the message conveyed. The three items are explained
in detail below:
Meaning
The earliest proponents of Pop art wanted to convey a
message that was instantly recognizable (Castleman,
1986, p.27). This is because the artists of the day had
seen how difficult it had been for art lovers to get the
message that artists in abstract expressionism were
trying to convey. To this end, the artists made their
works as simple and visually-appealing as possible
(Lucy, 1966, 147). This was achieved by the use of
materials from advertisements and posters of public
figures, as well as cuttings from magazine pages.
These items, combined with material from traditional
forms of art, ended up producing art pieces that were
both interesting to look at, as well as extremely thought
provoking. The presentations also made it easier for
persons, not keen on the traditional forms of elitist art
forms to lift messages from visits to the museums and
art galleries. Modern forms of pop art also strive to
give emphasis to meaning even though the art piece
themselves may sometimes appear like haphazard
collection of unrelated materials.
Material
Until the emergence of pop art, art could only be made
from select materials. These included paint, for
paintings and bronze and wood for sculptures. The
subjects of inspiration were also limited to human and
landscapes. Later, the art movement known as
Dadaism came to the fore, to insist that art could be
made from any type of material including items that
are deemed trash. Immediately after, came pop art
which furthered the idea of art being easily made from
available material, irrespective of how low it appeared
in terms of quality (Lucy, 1966, p.76). The usage of
low-brow material is one of the distinguishing
characteristics of pop art. In most instances, the artists
who specialize in this form of artistic expression tend
to use materials that are readily available, such as
broken grass, scrap metal and beads in their
compositions (Jamie 1996, p.11). It is under very few
circumstances that pop artists would walk into a shop
and buy each and every item they will use in their art
work. This is one of the unique elements that make pop
art stand out even in the midst of heated criticism,
stemming from the perceived quality of art pieces
(Harrison, 2001, 18).
Ideas
Until the emergence of Dadaism and Pop-art, the items
that made people flock the galleries were the art works
themselves (Irving, 1978, p.132). Individuals from
traditional forms of art concentrated on making the
finished product as visually appealing as possible. Pop-
art in contrast, did not particularly focus on the fine
touches. Instead, the strength of any select piece of art
was seen to come from the message and inspiration
behind it (Jamie 1996, pp. 42, 50). Most if not all
pieces of pop art, are made using a combination of
items, which in their typical context are unrelated. For
instance, some the famous pieces have had magazine
cut-outs, paired with oil paints and found objects such
as bottle tops, combined together into a single unit,
bearing a particular message. In this regard, the
uniformity and cleanliness that is traditionally
associated with forms of art such as paintings and
sculptures. This leaves the idea behind the art work to
drive its popularity as exemplified by the works of
some of the most popular pieces from the genre.
Conclusion
This is the summation of this essay. The project had set
out to analyze pop art in both an in-depth and
exhaustive manner. Starting with the origins the
discussion continued into the styles and themes of pop
art before concluding with the legacies associated with
the style. It has been found that pop art is one of the
youngest movements of art, and which is gradually
evolving. The research has also revealed that pop art’s
main focus is on the message conveyed, as opposed to
the packaging, something that has made the approach
receive its fair share of criticism. As per earlier plans,
the research was primarily guided by available
literature on the topic. Both physical and online
libraries were visited, and material to comprehensively
cover the discussion picked. In conclusion, it has been
found that pop art is a post-modern art movement,
which gives artists the room to experiment, with all
approaches they find useable. However, the research
also revealed that the subject has not been well studied
by most scholars, with the available literary pieces
mainly focusing on the artists themselves and their art
works. This, therefore, leaves a lot of room for
exploration into the topic, though it is also modest to
note that no single discussion can cover each and every
element of a particular item.
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