1950's - 1960's

TASK - Research 'Pop art'

'Pop art' was an art movement founded in the 10950's - 60's which was mostly likely influenced by fashion illustration, screen printed art and the supposedly anti-art 'Dada' movement.

Society and social norms, including art and fashion, were beginning to break out of the conservative and reserved point of view of the 40's and 50's and were starting to develop it's own sense of unique style, heavily influenced and spearheaded by teens and youth culture.

Hand painted fashion illustrations by artists such as David Downton and Bernard Blossac were still used in fashion based magazines like 'Vogue' and 'Women's own'.

Illustration for 'Women's own' magazine by Andy Virgil

While new fashion and lifestyle based magazines like 'Honey' and 'Intro' were aimed at teens and young adults and featured 'wild, psychedelic' colourful screen printed illustrations, apposed to the more muted and simplistic magazine illustrations of the 30's and 40's.

Illustrations for 'Honey' and 'Intro' by artist unknown

The average pop art piece would include techniques like screen printing and collage using found objects and would include themes like modern advertising and 'kitschy' elements.

Artists such as Andy Warhol, Richard Hamilton and Jim Dine were notable pop artists and helped create the overall pop art 'style'.

'Girlie door' by Peter Blake

Roy Liechtenstein is probably the most famous pop artist, parodying comic strips and would include the use of  'Ben-Day' dots in his work.

'Girl with hair ribbon' by Roy Lichtenstein

Bibliography:

'Lifestyle illustrations of the 60's' by Rian Hughes

'The 20th century art book' by Phaidon Publishing

'The 60's scrapbook' by Robert Opie