“an artist is someone who produces things that people don’t need to have” – Andy Warhol
Untitled from Marilyn Monroe – Andy Warhol
Pop art became widely popular in New York in the 1960s, however its origins can be traced back to an international movement beginning in the 1950s. The idea behind pop art was to merge the ideas of “low” and “high” culture. By bringing subjects of “low” culture such as movie stars or mass produced items into something that had always been considered to be “high” culture (art), pop artists were able to blur the cultural lines. The artists celebrated commonplace items and those other everyday objects that were often seen as mundane.
Thinking of Him – Roy Lichtenstein
Soft Sculpture – Claes Oldenburg
Lesson Idea:
Have students create their own pop art self portraits. Using photos taken of themselves students can create their own works of pop art by first tracing their outline onto a sheet of paper or acetate and then exploring the interesting colour palettes and techniques used during the pop art movement. If a student doesn’t want to use a photo of themselves, they can use the same techniques on an object found in their home.