The Pop Art Tradition: Responding to Mass-Culture

Pop Art, an abbreviation of Popular Art, is a movement that found its origins in England in the 1950s but realised its full potential in New York in the 60s. The name referred to the interest of a number of artists, such as Robert Rauschenberg (born 1925) and Jasper Johns (born 1930), in the imagery and techniques of consumerism and popular culture. Pop Art, led by the cult figure of Andy Warhol, was probably the most extraordinary innovation of 20th century art. It put art into everyday terms and so helped close the gap between ""high art"" and ""low art."" The British artist Richard Hamilton defined Pop Art as: ""popular, transient, expendable, low-cost, mass-produced, young, witty, sexy, glamorous, and Big Business."" Richly documented and clearly structured, this book provides an overall view as well as a new and insightful perspective on Pop Art and the works of the artists who were at the forefront of this movement.