December is for art…Pop art, to be exact! This blog will give you an introduction to Pop art and some of its most famous creators. We’ll even give you a sample to make some Pop art of your own!
What is Pop Art?
Pop art is an art movement that emerged during the mid-to late-1950s. It is based on simple, bold images of everyday items, such as soup cans, painted in bright colors. Sometimes, artists used consumer product labels and packaging, photos of celebrities, comic strips, and animals to create their Pop art images.
When and Where?
Pop art originated in the UK in the late 1950s and traveled to the United States, where it became very popular.
Here are a few Pop artists to discover and some of their most famous works!
Warhol is the most famous of the Pop artists and played a significant role in making the art movement popular. His painting of Campbell’s Soup cans pushed Pop art to the front of the art scene. His success did not come without some failure. He once tried to donate an original artwork, Happy Bug Day, 1954, to the Smithsonian Musume only to have them reject it.
Happy Bug Day, 1954
This New York artist is famous for his cartoon-like outlined pictures of people, animals, and lines doing different things. His art was inspired by the graffiti that decorates New York.
Monkey Puzzle, 1988
Hockney is considered one of the most important English artists of the 20th century. He played a significant role in the development of Pop art. His bold brush strokes, vibrant color choices, and mix of art movements such as cubism and expressionism set his art apart.
A Bigger Splash, 1967
Jasper is most famous for his paintings of the American flag. He has also painted a map of the United States and another famous painting of just numbers called Numbers in Color.
Savarin, 1977
Roy is known for creating art inspired by comic books. He uses bright colors, bold lines, and a unique fusion of shapes and people.
Cover design for Newsweek’s 1966 Pop art issue
Thiebaud became famous by painting pies, cakes, lipstick, and toys. One of his most famous paintings is of three gumball machines called Three Machines. His paintings are larger than life, and he uses bright colors and pastel color schemes to make his artwork stand out.
Three Machines, 1963
Make your own Pop Art
Imagine that you are tasked with designing a soup can, but you must do it in the Pop art style. What colors or shapes would you use? Print out the soup can and make your perfect design.
Book Picks:
Pop Art by Julie Murray
Readers will enjoy uncovering the secrets, stories, and meaning behind Pop art. The title will also introduce famous Pop art artists such as Andy Warhol and famous works like the LOVE statue in New York City. This series is at a Level 3 and is written specifically for transitional readers. Aligned to the Common Core standards & correlated to state standards.
Yayoi Kusama by May Nakamura
Get to know Yayoi Kusama, a Japanese artist known for her extensive use of polka dots and for her infinity installations, in this fascinating nonfiction Level 3 Ready-to-Read, part of a series of biographies about people “you should meet!”
Pop Art by Susie Brooks
Pop Art burst onto the scene in the mid-20th century, filling the gray post-World War II years with life, color, and fun! Pop artists from Andy Warhol to David Hockney strived to make art accessible for everyone, celebrating the popular symbols for the modern age–from cars to hamburgers–in their work. In the process they change the face of art forever.
Make It Pop! : Activities And Adventures In Pop Art by Joyce Raimondo
An introduction to the works of Lichtenstein, Warhol, Rauschenberg, and other popular artists.
To See Clearly: A Portrait Of David Hockney by Evan Turk
Growing up under the gray skies of England during WWII, David Hockney used art to brighten his world. He discovered that the more he looked and drew, the more he could see beyond the surface to find beauty, possibility, and new perspectives. In the most ordinary things, whether a splash of water, a changing landscape, or the face of a friend, David always found something to love, uniquely capturing the vibrancy and life of his subjects.
50 Modern Artists You Should Know by Christiane Weidemann
This chronologically arranged volume covers a century and a half of masterpieces that beautifully capture the development of art in the modern age. Covers many art movements, such as action art and pop art.
David Hockney by Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara
Discover the incredible life of David Hockney, the inspirational British artist. Little David loved to draw and looked at the world in his own unique way. He always knew what his path in life would be… he would be an artist! He went to art school and worked day and night to hone his drawing skills. He sold his first painting as a student, and in just five years he had a sell-out solo show of his work. When he moved from the UK to sunny California, he became known for creating bright, bold paintings. This inspiring book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the incredible young poet and activist’s life so far.
Andy Warhol: Pop Art Painter by Susan Goldman Rubin
A leader of the American art movement known as Pop, short for “popular culture,” Warhol changed the way we think of art. Assisted by photographs taken of Warhol throughout his life, and examples of his early drawings and best-known works, author Rubin traces his rise from poverty to wealth, and from obscurity to fame. After attending art school in Pittsburgh, Warhol started a career as a commercial artist in New York, and quickly won acclaim for his creative advertisements. When he turned to “real” painting, he used his background in commercial illustration and blurred the line between high and low art.
Art Is Everywhere: A Book About Andy Warhol by Jeff Mack
This is the story of Andy Warhol–and how his pop art took the world by storm. From drawing shoes for a shoe company to his Campbell’s Soup cans and Marilyn Monroe prints, Andy made art out of the everyday. People claimed Andy’s art wasn’t real art, but that didn’t stop him from making it, plus movies, a magazine, a TV show, and more!
Who Was Andy Warhol? by Kirsten Anderson
Profiles the life and accomplishments of the printmaker who overcame poverty and illness to become the founder of the Pop Art movement.
Modern Art Adventures: 36 Creative, Hands-On Projects Inspired By Artists From Monet To Banksy by Maja Pitamic
Modern Art Adventures” introduces young artists to groundbreaking masterpieces and fresh techniques, then lets them loose to create their own works of art.
Drawing On Walls: A Story Of Keith Haring by Matthew Burgess
Genuinely devoted to public art, Haring created murals wherever he went. Often seen drawing in white chalk on the matte black paper of unused advertising space in the subway, Haring’s iconic pop art and graffiti-like style transformed the New York City underground in the 1980s.
Signs Of Hope: The Revolutionary Art Of Sister Corita Kent by Mara Rockliff
Corita Kent was a visual artist, art teacher, and Catholic nun whose work was revolutionary and widely revered. In her classroom, she encouraged her students to see the ordinary as extraordinary and make art from the so-called commonplace around them. She embodied this in her own work, making screen prints and collages that celebrated the values and themes of hope, love, justice, and peace. This picture book biography approaches Corita’s life from the point of view of one of her students.
Andy Warhol by Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara
Little Andy always had a sketchbook glued to his hand. As an adult, he got a chance to publish his first illustration for a glamorous magazine. He turned his attention to the ordinary, like soup cans. He showed the world that ordinary objects could POP and founded a cultural movement. This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the inspiring artist’s life.
The Art Book For Children by Ferren Gipson
Invites the reader to take a closer look at works of art while pointing out tiny details hidden in famous works, providing information about a work or an artist, or explaining the techniques used to create the piece.
