Pop Art
By: Pahreesa Rashidi, Kendall Kelly,
Danielle Martin

In General
• Started as a rebellion against Abstract
Expressionism
• All about making images into works Americans
could identify with
• Roots in Dadaism
• British pop art was less critical, expressing a
more romantic view of the subject matter

In the Car-1963, Roy Lichtenstein

Still Life #12-1962, Tom Wesselmann

Velveeta-1965, Mel Ramos

Equality
210 Coca-Cola Bottles- 1962, Andy Warhol

Different from previous art
movements,
Abstract Expressionism Pop Art
• Emotion • Representational
• Considered “high art” • Relatable
• Subject was the • Subjects were objects from
unconscious and thus life, events, culture
subjective in nature • Ironic and mocking
• Serious • Mimics mechanical means
• Dynamic gestures, elements of production
of chance • Originally rejected and
• Accepted by the “academy” heavily criticized

Historical Context
• Mid 50’s and throughout the 60’s
• World War ll had just ended
• Cold War and then the Vietnam War
• Economic boom led to mass consumerism
• Television became a part of every home
• “Keeping up with the Jones’”
• America became covered with chain and fast
food restuarants

Two Subjects
Where does Capitalism fit in?
Glamour Dark side
• Stars • Poverty
• Commodities • Violence
• The “American Dream” • War
• Materialism

300 SL Coupe-1954, Andy Warhol

Electric Chair-1967, Warhol

Floor Burger- 1962, Claes Oldenburg

Lipstick (Ascending) on Caterpillar Tracks- 1969-1974,
Claes Oldenburg

Techniques
• Silk-screen printing- consists of mechanical
repetition of images while reducing them to
its essential outlines
• Impasto-Building up thick layers of paint
• Airbrushing-To make photo-like paintings
• Dot painting-Created Benday dots using a
metal stencil and carefully painting through
the regularly spaced holes of the Benday
screen onto the canvas.

Silk-screen print example
Marilyn Monroe-1962, Warhol

Roy Lichtenstein
• Used comic books, cartoons and
advertisements for inspiration
• Mostly primary color palette
• Dark lines and hard edges
• Benday dots
• Large Scale
• Admired and influenced by Pablo Picasso, Paul
Cezanne and Paul Klee

Magnifying Glass- 1963, Roy Lichtenstein

Look Mickey-1961, Roy Lichtenstein

Reflections, Art-1988, Roy Lichtenstein

Drowning Girl-1963, Roy Lichtenstein

WHAM!-1963, Roy Lichtenstein

On the Right: Comic Book Panel from Steve Roper, August 6,
1961, by William Overgard
On the Left: I can see the whole room… and there’s nobody in
it!- 1962, Roy Lichtenstein

White Brushstroke-1965, Roy Lichtenstein

Andy Warhol
• “Prince of pop”
• Known for using movie stars
• Transformed icons
• Silk-screen printing

Campbell’s Soup Can-1962, Warhol

Brillo Box-1970, Warhol
Brillo Boxes- 1970, Andy Warhol

Mao Zedong’s-1960s-70s

Liz #5-1963, Andy Warhol

Mickey Mouse 2-1981, Warhol

Richard Hamilton
• Is the father of pop art.
• He painted and made collages
• Became friends and was inspired by Duchamp.

“Just what is it that makes today’s home’s so different,
so appealing.” (1956)

Jasper Johns
• Used symbols, numbers and signs
• Wanted to draw attention to common objects
• Plays with meaning
• Bold colors
• Wanted to keep his work independent of the
movement

Flag-1955, Jasper Johns

Target- 1974, Jasper Johns

Numbers in Color-1959, Jasper Johns

Robert Rauschenberg
• “Paintings look more like real life if they are
composed from the elements of real life”.
• Integration
• Hybrid between painting and sculpture=
combines
• Sculptures vs. paintings
• Messy style
• Collages

Retroactive ll-1964, Robert Rauscenberg

Expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of
Eden-1432-Masaccio’s

Combine-1963, Robert Rauschenberg

Bed-1955, Robert Rauschenberg

Features from currents #62-1970, Robert Rauschenberg

Claes Oldenburg
• He went through different styles of art.
• He mostly created sculptures. He took a ordinary
object and change its context.
• He wanted the viewer to stop and think about
his sculptures.
• He wanted his art to relate to the real world.
• He was strongly influenced by Sigmund Freud.
• The materials for soft sculptures: paper, canvas
plaster and chicken wire, then later on vinyl,
Formica, and Plexiglas.

Spoonbridge and Cherry-1985-1988, Claes Oldenburg

Lipstick (Ascending) on Caterpillar Tracks- 1969-1974,
Claes Oldenburg

Floor Burger- 1962, Claes Oldenburg

French Fries and Ketchup-1963, Claes Oldenburg

The End