Pop Art

Have you ever seen a painting that looks like a giant page from a comic book. Or maybe you've seen a picture of a soup can, the kind you have in your kitchen, hanging on a museum wall. That might seem a little silly, but that’s me. I love using super bright, bold colors that jump right out at you, like fire-truck red, sunshine yellow, and sky blue. I love taking things you see on television, in advertisements, or in the grocery store and turning them into something amazing and important. I find the fun in the things you see all the time and make them feel extra special, like a celebrity. I am Pop Art.

For a very long time, most art was quite serious. Paintings were usually of important people like kings and queens, or of quiet fields and forests. But in the 1950s, some artists in a country called Great Britain thought art could be more fun and exciting. They believed art could be about all the popular things they saw around them every day. An artist named Richard Hamilton made a very cool picture in 1956. He made a collage by cutting out pictures from magazines and pasting them together to show what a modern home looked like, full of new gadgets and ads. My big idea was so powerful that it hopped across the ocean to America, where I became a superstar. In the early 1960s, artists there really fell in love with me. An artist named Andy Warhol famously painted Campbell’s Soup Cans in 1962, making one painting for each of the thirty-two flavors. At the same time, an artist named Roy Lichtenstein made huge, colorful paintings that looked exactly like they were from a comic strip, complete with tiny dots just like in a printed comic. They showed the world that a soup can or a cartoon could be incredible art.

I helped prove that art wasn't just for fancy people or serious subjects. Art could be for everyone. I showed that art can be about anything at all, including your favorite soda bottle or a famous movie star. My style is still all around you today. You can see my bright colors and bold shapes on posters, T-shirts, and even your favorite cereal box. I wanted to make art feel like a fun party that everyone was invited to. I am here to remind you that the world is full of amazing things to look at, and anything can be turned into art. So look around at your favorite toys, snacks, and cartoons. You can be a pop artist, too. I am here to remind you that art is everywhere and for everyone.