Pop Art Surf

Pop art refers to a movement that emerged during the mid- to late-1950s. It is art based on popular culture and mass media and works to critique traditional fine art values. Find many different works under the Pop art category on 1stDibs.

It emerged in 1950 in United States and England. It is characterized by using images as objects of popular culture or everyday life, obtained from the media. Through irony, it reflected the society of the time, marked by consumerism, materialism, the cult of image and fashion.

There was no single founder of Pop art, as many artists contributed to the development of the movement. Richard Hamilton’s 1956 collage Just what is it that makes today’s homes so different, so appealing? is widely believed to have kickstarted the unconventional new style. Although Hamilton and other British artists launched the movement, they were soon overshadowed by their American counterparts.

Pop art is perhaps most closely identified with American artist Andy Warhol, whose clever appropriation of motifs and images helped to transform the artistic style into a lifestyle. Roy Lichtenstein was another prominent American Pop artist. Much like Warhol, Lichtenstein drew his subjects from print media, particularly comic strips, producing paintings and sculptures characterized by primary colors, bold outlines and halftone dots, elements appropriated from commercial printing. On 1stDibs, shop a range of Pop art.

Opinions vary on who the father of Pop art may be. Pop art emerged in the 1950s in Britain and flourished in 1960s-era America as a reaction to postwar mass consumerism. Some argue that Andy Warhol deserves the title because he helped shape the movement during the 1960s. However, other artists like Eduardo Paolozzi and Richard Hamilton began producing what’s now considered Pop art a decade earlier. Other artists who made important contributions to Pop art include Marta Minujín, Claes Oldenburg, Rosalyn Drexler, James Rosenquist, Peter Blake and Roy Lichtenstein. On 1stDibs, shop a selection of Pop Art.

Pop art started because artists sought to react to the mass consumerism of the 1950s with the goal of putting popular culture on the same level as so-called high culture. Works associated with Pop art are distinguished by their bold imagery, bright colors and seemingly commonplace subject matter. Practitioners endeavored to challenge the status quo. Pop artists broke with the perceived elitism of the previously dominant Abstract Expressionism and made pointed statements about current events. Richard Hamilton's 1956 collage ‘Just what is it that makes today’s homes so different, so appealing?’ is widely believed to have kickstarted this unconventional new style, but Pop art is perhaps most closely identified with American Pop artists Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. On 1stDibs, explore a collection of Pop art.

The bright colors and graphic patterns and imagery of Pop art continue to influence fashion, prompting the industry’s designers to integrate provocative color pairings and visuals commonly associated with mass media and advertising into their garments. You can see examples of this in iconic pieces by Pierre Cardin, Mary Quant and Vivienne Westwood as well as in the work of many contemporary designers. Specifically, the well-known portraits that Andy Warhol created of celebrities and pop culture figures made their way into fashion by designers who incorporated images of popular celebrities into their clothing designs.

Artists in the United Kingdom started the Pop art movement as a reaction, both positive and critical, to the period's consumerism. Its goal was to put popular culture on the same level as so-called high culture. London-born artist Richard Hamilton is widely believed to have had a pioneering role in Pop art, which drew on imagery from popular culture - comic books, advertising, product packaging and other commercial media - to create paintings and sculptures that celebrated ordinary life in the most literal way. Although British artists launched the movement, they were soon overshadowed by their American counterparts. Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Rosalyn Drexler are some of the American artists associated with the history of Pop art. Find original Pop art on 1stDibs.

Who is considered the father of Pop art is open for debate. Some experts give the title to Andy Warhol, whose clever appropriation of motifs and images helped to transform the artistic style into a lifestyle. Others may argue that Roy Lichtenstein deserves the credit, as his work drawing from print media helped to define the style. Another potential candidate is Richard Hamilton, whose 1956 collage Just what is it that makes today's homes so different, so appealing? is widely believed to have kickstarted the Pop art movement. Shop a diverse assortment of Pop art on 1stDibs.

Opinions vary as to what the most famous piece of Pop art is. Two major contenders for the title are Andy Warhol's 1961–62 series Campbell's Soup Cans and Roy Lichtenstein's 1963 diptych painting Whaam!. Other notable Pop art works include A Bigger Splash by David Hockney, Flag by Jasper Johns, Crying Girl by Roy Lichtenstein, Radiant Baby by Keith Haring, the Marilyn Triptych by Andy Warhol, and Spoonbridge and Cherry by Claes Oldenburg. On 1stDibs, find a wide range of Pop art.

Yes, Alex Katz's style is Pop art. During the 1950s, he experimented with collage and painting on aluminum sheets, with his later work in the 1960s drawing inspiration from film and advertising. In the 1970s, Katz expanded into portrait groups that regularly depicted the cultural scene of New York. In the 1980s, he extended his focus to fashion and its supermodels. These sources of inspiration align with Pop art's focus on transforming elements of popular culture into fine art. On 1stDibs, shop a collection of Alex Katz art.

Roy Lichtenstein painted Pop art to comment on geopolitical and social issues of his time. He patterned his work off of mass media like advertising and comic books to help convey his messages. On 1stDibs, shop a range of Roy Lichtenstein art.

Roy Lichtenstein started producing Pop art in the 1950s. His work drew inspiration from advertisements and comic books. In the 1960s, his work became widely known, and today, historians credit him with greatly influencing the Pop art movement. On 1stDibs, find a collection of Roy Lichtenstein art.