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Pop art

 

            Question: Pop Art: Social Commentary or mere Show Off?.
             Is Pop Art a social commentary or just a show off? In my point, pop art is rather more of a social commentary than a mere show off, in which the case of the latter people tend to lable it so for its aggressiveness, bold and even more overpowering nature. i chose this topic because i have an immense interest of the art during the 50's and 60s, everything was so colourful and "swinging". In this essay i shall try to substantiate my stand with as many relevant information i have done with my research, including a brief outline of pop art itself, and two artists (Andy Warhol and Keith Haring) which i studied to show why their art pieces reflect of the society and its state then and now. .
             Pop Art first appeared in Britain during the 1950s and referred to the growing interest of mass media, advertising and consumer products. The term "Pop Art" were first given by the critic Lawrence Alloway to describe art pieces that "celebrate post-war consumerism, defy the Pyschology of Abstract Expressionism, and worship the god of materialism". It was shortened from the term "popular art". This new form of art had a natural appeal to the artists in America and they used this to emphasise on everyday objects used in daily life. Pop art described the growing culture of which ordinary people derived most of their visual pleasure in the mass media, like television, comics, advertisements and magazines.
             The most direct representation of Pop Art is the ever famous Andy Warhol, who lived through depression and all the political shenanigans like WW2 and Marilyn Monroe. He chose objects from the daily American like as well as popular icons as subjects of his artwork. His technique of creating his art was silk-screening, which is a process that allows images to be repeated endlessly. This method clearly depicts the vulgar image of an industrialised America.


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