Pop Art More Art
Perhaps one of the most influential contemporary art movements, Pop art emerged in the 1950s. In stark contrast to traditional artistic practice, its practitioners drew on imagery from popular culture — comic books, advertising, product packaging and other commercial media — to create original Pop art paintings, prints and sculptures that celebrated ordinary life in the most literal way.
ORIGINS OF POP ART
- Started in Britain in the 1950s, flourished in 1960s-era America
- “This is Tomorrow,” at London's Whitechapel Gallery in 1956, was reportedly the first Pop art exhibition
- A reaction to postwar mass consumerism
- Transitioning away from Abstract Expressionism
- Informed by neo-Dada and artists such as Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg; influenced postmodernism and Photorealism
CHARACTERISTICS OF POP ART
- Bold imagery
- Bright, vivid colors
- Straightforward concepts
- Engagement with popular culture
- Incorporation of everyday objects from advertisements, cartoons, comic books and other popular mass media
POP ARTISTS TO KNOW
- Richard Hamilton
- Andy Warhol
- Marta Minujín
- Claes Oldenburg
- Eduardo Paolozzi
- Rosalyn Drexler
- James Rosenquist
- Peter Blake
- Roy Lichtenstein
ORIGINAL POP ART ON 1STDIBS
The Pop art movement started in the United Kingdom 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.
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.
Pop art works are distinguished by their bold imagery, bright colors and seemingly commonplace subject matter. Practitioners sought to challenge the status quo, breaking with the perceived elitism of the previously dominant Abstract Expressionism and making statements about current events. Other key characteristics of Pop art include appropriation of imagery and techniques from popular and commercial culture; use of different media and formats; repetition in imagery and iconography; incorporation of mundane objects from advertisements, cartoons and other popular media; hard edges; and ironic and witty treatment of subject matter.
Although British artists launched the movement, they were soon overshadowed by their American counterparts. Pop art is perhaps most closely identified with American Pop artist Andy Warhol, whose clever appropriation of motifs and images helped to transform the artistic style into a lifestyle. Most of the best-known American artists associated with Pop art started in commercial art (Warhol made whimsical drawings as a hobby during his early years as a commercial illustrator), a background that helped them in merging high and popular culture.
Roy Lichtenstein was another prominent Pop artist that was active in the United States. 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. Recontextualizing a lowbrow image by importing it into a fine-art context was a trademark of his style. Neo-Pop artists like Jeff Koons and Takashi Murakami further blurred the line between art and popular culture.
Pop art rose to prominence largely through the work of a handful of men creating works that were unemotional and distanced — in other words, stereotypically masculine. However, there were many important female Pop artists, such as Rosalyn Drexler, whose significant contributions to the movement are recognized today. Best known for her work as a playwright and novelist, Drexler also created paintings and collages embodying Pop art themes and stylistic features.
Read more about the history of Pop art and the style’s famous artists, and browse the collection of original Pop art paintings, prints, photography and other works for sale on 1stDibs.
1980s Pop Art More Art
Offset
2010s Pop Art More Art
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Resin, Vinyl
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Resin, Vinyl
1980s Pop Art More Art
Wool
1980s Pop Art More Art
Offset
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Resin, Vinyl
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Resin, Vinyl
Artist Comments
A pop art-style portrait of a powerful leopard, surrounded by bursts of bright vivid colors and flowing brushwork. The big cat stares into the distance, undi...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Resin, Vinyl
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Resin, Vinyl
1980s Pop Art More Art
Lithograph, Offset
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Resin, Vinyl
2010s Pop Art More Art
Canvas, Color
2010s Pop Art More Art
LED Light, Neon Light
2010s Pop Art More Art
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Vinyl
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Resin, Vinyl
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Resin, Vinyl
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Resin, Vinyl
1990s Pop Art More Art
Lithograph, Offset
20th Century Pop Art More Art
Porcelain, Screen
2010s Pop Art More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Resin, Rubber, Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
1980s Pop Art More Art
Lithograph, Offset
2010s Pop Art More Art
Color, Archival Pigment
2010s Pop Art More Art
Wood, Offset
2010s Pop Art More Art
Offset
1980s Pop Art More Art
Lithograph, Offset
1980s Pop Art More Art
Offset
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Resin, Vinyl
1980s Pop Art More Art
Acrylic
2010s Pop Art More Art
Canvas, Color
2010s Pop Art More Art
Canvas, Color
Mid-19th Century Pop Art More Art
Metal
Artist Comments
A lifeguard sits on her chair, watching over an empty beach. The deep blue sky meets the calm sea, while the wet red sand mirrors the scene above. The stillness and fading colors evoke nostalgia, capturing the fleeting nature of summer. The title reflects a moment of pause between what was and what will be. Artist Keith Thomson used oil paint and ink to create this evocative piece.
About the Artist
Alabama-based artist Keith Thomson creates quick-witted, mixed-media artwork that blends realism and surrealism. His background as a political cartoonist in the 90s is reflected in the sharp storytelling his artwork achieves. He combines stylized realism and everyday subject matter with surreal details and ironic twists. He begins his work as digital sketches using animation software, then he transfers the sketch onto the canvas and begins applying oil paint. In addition to painting, he is a writer, of mostly spy novels and nonfiction articles. His writing prowess shines through in his witty descriptions of his pieces.
Words that describe this painting: beach, sea, ocean, sky, lifeguard, chair, reflection, contrast, bright, clouds, water, shore, horizon, pop, seascape, oil painting, blue
The Wednesday After Labor Day...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
A modern landscape watercolor painting conveys a playfully surreal scene. Giant jelly doughnuts pose navigational hazards along the coast. The lighthouse on the...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Watercolor
2010s Pop Art More Art
Canvas, Color
2010s Pop Art More Art
Canvas, Color
1960s Pop Art More Art
Mixed Media
1960s Pop Art More Art
Textile, Screen
2010s Pop Art More Art
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
People bustle past each other, filling the sidewalks of 42nd Street in New York City. On this sunny winter afternoon, storefronts dazzle with colorful advertisements, while theater marquee lights reflect off restaurant windows. The sounds of traffic mix with the lively beat of Spanish rock music from boom boxes, infusing the air with the vibrant pulse of urban life.
About the Artist
Artist Leroy Burt paints playful, offbeat landscapes and portraits based on his experiences living in Milwaukee, New York, Costa Rica, and currently Rochester, Minnesota. "I think of my paintings as short stories," he says. As a young child, Leroy faced a number of obstacles. His parents divorced when he was four years old and he was raised by his grandparents in a three-room shack without running water or electricity. Leroy worked hard to pull himself out of poverty. He studied graphic design and painting, which led to a 30-year career in graphic design - five years at WMVS, the PBS television station in Milwaukee, fifteen years at city hall in Milwaukee, and ten years at WNET, the PBS station in New York. In 2015, Leroy retired to focus his energy on painting. Today, he works from a tiny studio filled with half-finished paintings stacked against every wall. "There are photos and sketches for future paintings taped everywhere," says Leroy. "My windows are filled with orchids. There are books, films and music CDs in every corner. And the room is dominated by a black and silver Andy Warhol silkscreen...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Resin, Vinyl
2010s Pop Art More Art
Canvas, Color
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Resin, Vinyl
2010s Pop Art More Art
Acrylic, Vinyl
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Resin, Vinyl
Artist Comments
A bride rides a motorcycle under a vibrant blue sky, her veil billowing dramatically behind her. The contrast between traditional bridal imagery and the motor...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Resin, Plexiglass, Rubber, Glitter, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art More Art
Canvas, Color
2010s Pop Art More Art
Canvas, Color
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Resin, Vinyl
1980s Pop Art More Art
Paper
20th Century Pop Art More Art
Cardboard, Offset
Artist Comments
A cropped image of a bull and its rider captures the intensity of the sport, creating a sense of immediacy and immersion. The scene conveys the rugged nature of...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art More Art
Oil
1980s Pop Art More Art
Offset
2010s Pop Art More Art
Wood, Digital
