American pop art
Objective: Students will study the era of pop art in America, ultimately being inspired to create their own pop art sculpture out of clay.
History:
Pop art is now most associated with the work of New York artists of the early 1960s such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, James Rosenquist, and Claes Oldenburg, but artists who drew on popular imagery were part of an international phenomenon in various cities from the mid-1950s onwards.
Following the popularity of the Abstract Expressionists, Pop's reintroduction of identifiable imagery (drawn from mass media and popular culture) was a major shift for the direction of modernism. The subject matter became far from traditional "high art" themes of morality, mythology, and classic history; rather, Pop artists celebrated commonplace objects and people of everyday life, in this way seeking to elevate popular culture to the level of fine art. Perhaps owing to the incorporation of commercial images, Pop art has become one of the most recognizable styles of modern art.
Key IdeasBy creating paintings or sculptures of mass culture objects and media stars, the Pop art movement aimed to blur the boundaries between "high" art and "low" culture. The concept that there is no hierarchy of culture and that art may borrow from any source has been one of the most influential characteristics of Pop art.
Pop artists seemingly embraced the post-WWII manufacturing and media boom. Some critics have cited the Pop art choice of imagery as an enthusiastic endorsement of the capitalist market and the goods it circulated, while others have noted an element of cultural critique in the Pop artists' elevation of the everyday to high art: tying the commodity status of the goods represented to the status of the art object itself, emphasizing art's place as, at base, a commodity.
Following the popularity of the Abstract Expressionists, Pop's reintroduction of identifiable imagery (drawn from mass media and popular culture) was a major shift for the direction of modernism. The subject matter became far from traditional "high art" themes of morality, mythology, and classic history; rather, Pop artists celebrated commonplace objects and people of everyday life, in this way seeking to elevate popular culture to the level of fine art. Perhaps owing to the incorporation of commercial images, Pop art has become one of the most recognizable styles of modern art.
Key IdeasBy creating paintings or sculptures of mass culture objects and media stars, the Pop art movement aimed to blur the boundaries between "high" art and "low" culture. The concept that there is no hierarchy of culture and that art may borrow from any source has been one of the most influential characteristics of Pop art.
Pop artists seemingly embraced the post-WWII manufacturing and media boom. Some critics have cited the Pop art choice of imagery as an enthusiastic endorsement of the capitalist market and the goods it circulated, while others have noted an element of cultural critique in the Pop artists' elevation of the everyday to high art: tying the commodity status of the goods represented to the status of the art object itself, emphasizing art's place as, at base, a commodity.
Most important art:
Campbell's Soup Cans (1962)
Artist: Andy Warhol
Warhol's iconic series of Campbell's Soup Cans paintings were never meant to be celebrated for their form or compositional style, like that of the abstractionists. What made these works significant was Warhol's co-opting of universally recognizable imagery, such as a Campbell's soup can, Mickey Mouse, or the face of Marilyn Monroe, and depicting it as a mass-produced item, but within a fine art context.
In that sense, Warhol wasn't just emphasizing popular imagery, but rather providing commentary on how people have come to perceive these things in modern times: as commodities to be bought and sold, identifiable as such with one glance. 100 canvases of campbell's soup cans made up his first solo exhibition at the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles, and put Warhol on the art world map almost immediately, forever changing the face and content of modern art.
Artist: Andy Warhol
Warhol's iconic series of Campbell's Soup Cans paintings were never meant to be celebrated for their form or compositional style, like that of the abstractionists. What made these works significant was Warhol's co-opting of universally recognizable imagery, such as a Campbell's soup can, Mickey Mouse, or the face of Marilyn Monroe, and depicting it as a mass-produced item, but within a fine art context.
In that sense, Warhol wasn't just emphasizing popular imagery, but rather providing commentary on how people have come to perceive these things in modern times: as commodities to be bought and sold, identifiable as such with one glance. 100 canvases of campbell's soup cans made up his first solo exhibition at the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles, and put Warhol on the art world map almost immediately, forever changing the face and content of modern art.
Pastry Case, I (1961-62)Artist: Claes Oldenburg
Oldenburg is known as one of the few American Pop art sculptors, notorious for his playfully absurd creations of food and inanimate objects. The collection of works in Pastry Case, I were originally displayed in the artist's famous 1961 installation titled The Store, located on New York's Lower East Side. For the project, Oldenburg created plaster sculptural objects including a strawberry shortcake and a candied apple. In addition to replicating consumer items, Oldenburg organized his installation like a typical variety shop and sold his items at low prices, commenting on the interrelation between art objects and commodities. Although sold as if they were mass-produced, the sculptures in The Store were carefully hand-built and the lavish, expressive brushstrokes that cover the items in Pastry Case, I seem to mock the seriousness of Abstract Expressionism, a common theme in Pop art. Oldenburg combines the evocative expressionist gesture with the commodity item in a highly ironic environment.
Oldenburg is known as one of the few American Pop art sculptors, notorious for his playfully absurd creations of food and inanimate objects. The collection of works in Pastry Case, I were originally displayed in the artist's famous 1961 installation titled The Store, located on New York's Lower East Side. For the project, Oldenburg created plaster sculptural objects including a strawberry shortcake and a candied apple. In addition to replicating consumer items, Oldenburg organized his installation like a typical variety shop and sold his items at low prices, commenting on the interrelation between art objects and commodities. Although sold as if they were mass-produced, the sculptures in The Store were carefully hand-built and the lavish, expressive brushstrokes that cover the items in Pastry Case, I seem to mock the seriousness of Abstract Expressionism, a common theme in Pop art. Oldenburg combines the evocative expressionist gesture with the commodity item in a highly ironic environment.
BLAM (1962)Artist: Roy Lichtenstein
Lichtenstein took the image used for BLAM from a 1962 edition of the comic book All American Men of War (#89) by Russ Heath. Lichtenstein's painting is not quite an exact replica of Heath's image, but it would be easy to confuse the two upon first glance, as Lichtenstein altered the image only very subtly. One of his many paintings that appropriate subject matter from popular comics, Lichtenstein defined his career by experimenting with the boundaries between high and low art, which raised such questions about the nature of culture and originality without providing any definitive answers. As with the rest of Pop art, it is unclear whether Lichtenstein is applauding the comic book image, and the general cultural sphere to which it belongs, or critiquing it, leaving interpretation up to the viewer. BLAM and similar works were painted using the Ben-Day dot technique, borrowed from comic book printing. Thus, not only is the larger image itself a reproduction, but it was also painted using a repetitive, almost mechanical technique.
Lichtenstein took the image used for BLAM from a 1962 edition of the comic book All American Men of War (#89) by Russ Heath. Lichtenstein's painting is not quite an exact replica of Heath's image, but it would be easy to confuse the two upon first glance, as Lichtenstein altered the image only very subtly. One of his many paintings that appropriate subject matter from popular comics, Lichtenstein defined his career by experimenting with the boundaries between high and low art, which raised such questions about the nature of culture and originality without providing any definitive answers. As with the rest of Pop art, it is unclear whether Lichtenstein is applauding the comic book image, and the general cultural sphere to which it belongs, or critiquing it, leaving interpretation up to the viewer. BLAM and similar works were painted using the Ben-Day dot technique, borrowed from comic book printing. Thus, not only is the larger image itself a reproduction, but it was also painted using a repetitive, almost mechanical technique.
Project:
For more on your project click here to see Prezi presentation.
Start with a sketch of what you'd want to make within the Pop Art theme! Think about what would be "Pop Art" today, i.e. cell phones, logos from social media applications, food choices, clothing, etc.
Begin with choosing what method of clay building would work best for you. (Demonstration done in class)
SLAB-A method of making pottery in which a thick, flat plate, or slice, of clay is cut into shapes which are joined to form an object.
COIL-This is the technique of building ceramic forms by rolling out coils, or ropes, of clay and joining them together with the fingers or a tool.
DOUBLE PINCH-In ceramics is a method of shaping clay by inserting the thumb of one hand into the clay and lightly pinching with the thumb and fingers while slowly rotating the ball in the palm of the other hand.
SLAB-A method of making pottery in which a thick, flat plate, or slice, of clay is cut into shapes which are joined to form an object.
COIL-This is the technique of building ceramic forms by rolling out coils, or ropes, of clay and joining them together with the fingers or a tool.
DOUBLE PINCH-In ceramics is a method of shaping clay by inserting the thumb of one hand into the clay and lightly pinching with the thumb and fingers while slowly rotating the ball in the palm of the other hand.
SCORE & SLIP-Don't forget to score and slip your pieces, especially ones that are going to be joining together. This will help ensure that they don't break or fall apart in the kiln.
Helpful Hints:
Clay should never be thicker than the thickness of your thumb.
Make sure you wedge your clay to remove all air bubbles.
Work with clay on a piece of canvas or bat, if you start working directly on your table it will get stuck and you will lose all your work!
Always cover your clay at the end of class with a damp paper towel and a plastic bag. If you leave it open, it'll dry out!
Clay should never be thicker than the thickness of your thumb.
Make sure you wedge your clay to remove all air bubbles.
Work with clay on a piece of canvas or bat, if you start working directly on your table it will get stuck and you will lose all your work!
Always cover your clay at the end of class with a damp paper towel and a plastic bag. If you leave it open, it'll dry out!
GLAZING-Once your piece has dried and been fired, you will be able to glaze it. Glazes are similar to paint as they give the ceramics color, they can serve to decorate your final product. (Class demonstration on glaze types)
Remember to use 3 full coats of glaze and should you want yours to be shiny, use gloss as well. Your piece will need to be fired again, once complete see me for information on how to hand in your project for a grade. |