POST 7: 'Pop Art Myths' and the 'MYTHS & HEROES' Notion

Pop Art emerged in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It consists one of the most liberating moments in the history of art. In Pop Art any object could become art. This kind of art portrays the new culture of technology and consumer society by representing quotidian objects. Pop Art was a ground-breaking and innovative movement because it makes an end to the division between low and high culture. Even if Pop Art takes part of modern art, it still connected to traditional art.

Mickey Mouse - Andy Warhol (1976)

Pop Art "Myths and Heroes" can be related to the third definition of Myths: A popular belief or story that has become associated with a person, institution, or occurrence, especially one considered to illustrate a cultural ideal. Because the idols and "myths" have become cultural ideals by being a role model to many persons. It can also be connected to the fourth definition of Heroes, even though there is something missing.
I have chosen this painting of Andy Warhol about Mickey Mouse, named Mickey Mouse that has been painted in 1976. It is currently exhibited at a museum in Toronto, the exhibition is called Andy Warhol: Revisited.  I think this artwork represents Pop Art because it can be relate to the topic comic of the art exhibition that took place in the Thyssen museum. This painting depicts Mickey Mouse, a hero for most of nowadays kids, this is why this artwork can be linked to Pop Art.
In my opinion this is one of the most originals movements in history, and I appreciate it a lot because it shows random things but in a different way we all see them, for example Still Lifes are real scenes but "photoshoped" by the artists to make them more attractive to the public. This art movement can be associated to Mythology because many Pop Artists represent mythological characters into their artworks making them more inviting or catchy to the public.

POP ART MYTHS : THEMES

Pop Art is one of the most liberating moments in art that appears in the late 1950s and early 1960s. This kind of art shows us the new culture of technology and consumerism, it put an end to the division between high and low culture. In Pop Art any object could become art. Even if it is a modern movement, Pop Art is inspired by modern life/culture (advertisings, comics) but also by tradition and classic art (they still using the same tools as in the past).

Collage, Avertising and Comics:

Collage in Pop Art is inspired by cubism and dadaism. It was the americans Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol who first transform a comic page into a large painting.

comic

collage

Emblems:

  

Coca-Cola - Andy Warhol

Campbell's tomato soup

In the late 1950s, Jasper Johns wanted to show something different as brand names and products to push people to consunmpption society, so he started to represent everyday life objects. Warhol imitated him some times afterwards, representing also logos and tradecamp: Coca-Cola, Campbell's soup cans, etc...

Myths:

Marilyn Monroe - Andy Warhol

Hollywod was a place were many myths were created: Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Marlon Brando, most of them became idols for the public, that is why they appeared in many Pop Art creations. Andy Warhol and Alex Katz were the first Pop Artists to try this new topic. British Pop Artists created their own myths (Hamilton's Rolling Stone) and they also combine worldwide idols with their culture.

Portraits:

Andy Warhol - Self-Portrait in Drag

When Pop Art appears it brought the reinterpretation, that means that portraits were again on top. It is based on the traditional form of portrait in which representation no loger follows reality, Warhol marks the turning point because the model fades away and become a virtual image. Many artists also tried self-portraid and the way reflection can make a portrait and how real could it be. In this topic the rules of traditional art are broken, because we don't see reality, we see an approach of it.

                         

Landscapes, Interiors and Still Lifes:

David Hockney - Arrival of Spring in Woldgate

It appears because of the consumer culture. This topic made Pop Art return to the real world, because it shows real objects in real situations, it could even be a picture. It turns into traditional art because it is a reinterpretation of landscapes, interiors and still lifes. The genres are adapted to the modern landscapes, cultures and society. This Pop Art topic makes an private landscape or space into a commercial space just by representing it to the public.

Still Life #30 - Tom Wesselmann

Roy Lichtenstein - Sunrise C

 Urban Eroticism:

Kneeling Woman - Allen Jones

Roy Lichtenstein - Woman In Bath

The transformation of social attitude and norms in the middle of the XX century brought a sexual freedom that encourage eroticism in everything around the world. So, Pop Artists wouldn't be less, and took their creations to a next level: they joined this eroticism movement and represented it in every way they could. 

History Painting:

History events and contemporary affairs were an important part of Pop Art culture. It was created to appear in the media, even though some paintings aren't contemporary. Many important people like Mao Zedong, John F. Kennedy and his wife, Paul VI and others were the protagonists of a lot of projects made by Warhol, Rotella, Richter. Pop Art in Spain was used only for political causes.

Juan Genovés - Group Hug (in Franco-era)

Mao Tse-Tung - Andy Warhol

Art about art:

Details of Renaissance Paintings
 (Sandro Botticelli, Birth of Venus, 1482)
 - Andy Warhol

This Pop Art topic is an essential part of this movement, it is really close to the subject art on art. It represents the evolution of art by using traditional works and remaking them with contemporary art tools and "symbols".

Equipo Crónica - The Living Room

MYTHS AND HEROES

'Myths & Heroes' worksheet

PROGRESS : QUANTITY VS QUALITY

Document 1: "Black Friday"

I have choosen this two documents because they are the opposite. The first document shows us consumption without any rationality while the second one illustrates us the contrary, a consumer who is responsible and rational not only for himself but also with society. The first document represents the most famous sales of the year, and the one with the most comercial success: "Black Friday". In this picture, the consumer is portrayed as a person without rationality, someone that just by seeing sales would buy everything. This is what these two women show us, even if they have they hands full of objects, they keep buyng things just because they are on sale. This kind of consumer doesn't think about anything but his satisfaction. Compulsury buyers are attracted to sales, even though there are plenty of negative aspects during production, like pollution, child labor, animal abuse, unfair work conditions, deforestation, animal testing and many more negative aspects. The second document, which is a cartoon, represents a rational purchaser, who is not only efficient with his needs but also with society, because he thinks carefully what he is buying, and the impact that it has on society. This people pay attention to production methods, because they care about the well-being of the world and his population. This kind pf people think of general wellfare rather than having many unnecessary things. They only buy what they need, contrary to compulsury buyers or “shopaholics”, who are led by the ads and sales, without thinking about the quality or the consequences for society.

Document 2: Rational consumption