Origins
This artistic movement emerged during the Industrial Revolution and the post-war
consumerist society. With people becoming urban dwellers and engaging in
repetitive daily routines,
What did pop artists reflect in their artworks?
-Pop artists reflected this consumerist lifestyle in their works.
-They often used commercial silk screen printing, a
mass-production technique, to create artworks with
repeated images.
Impersonal techniques that reflect the
CONSUMERIST SOCIETY:
• Warhol’s photo silk-screening
• Lichtenstein’s style mimics commercial printing
techniques
• Rosenquist’s billboard-size paintings
What does their medium tell us about the message
of their works?
This repetition served as a metaphor for the monotonous
nature of everyday life in a consumer-driven society.
These techniques emphasise the utterly
non-introspective character of their works. These
deadpan presentations of the commonplace are a radical shift from the previous
movements like Abstract Expressionism that emphasised emotion and personal
investment in the work.
Themes:
★ Departure from traditional sources of inspiration
★ Shift towards mass-produced consumer items
, Subject matter:
★ Glamorous women
★ Advertisements
★ Consumer products (e.g., Coca-Cola and Campbell's soup)
★ Sex symbols
★ Disasters
★ Movies
★ Fast food
★ Comic strips
★ Kitsch
ANDY WARHOL
(1925-1987)
Techniques:
● Andy Warhol utilized the photo silkscreen technique, allowing fast and
accurate reproductions and mass production.
● The mechanical repetition of the silk screen process eliminated the personal
signature of the artist and created a sense of objectivity in his works.
● Warhol employed an assistant to carry out his silkscreen works, further
distancing himself from the art-making process.
● The use of modern techniques and media, such as commercial printing and
mass advertising, suited warhols artistic approach
Medium as a metaphor
● Warhol's use of the photo silkscreen technique emphasised the unemotional
quality of commercial art and challenged the boundaries of fine art.
● His works' mass production and replication reflected consumer culture's
impersonal and objective nature.