“Witty, sexy, gimmicky, glamourous, big business…” That’s how Richard Hamilton described pop art in a 1957 letter to his friends. Ever since, pop art has exploded into a huge art movement.
The mere mention of the phrase ‘pop art’ brings to mind images of soup cans, Marilyn Monroes in eclectic shades and comic strips. However, what we are not so familiar with is the pop art scene in Australia. Aussie artists took inspiration from Europe and USA to create their own signature style.
The Beginning of Pop Art
The 1950s were a period of post-war optimism and economic boom in much of the western world, including Australia. The market was flooding with consumer products and brands used glossy ads to promote their products. It was also the decade that brought in celebrity culture.
Pop art began as an act of rebellion against the traditional definition of art. Young artists began to feel that the artworks of the time were not an expression of real lives; popular culture was an inseparable part of life in the 1960s.
These new-age artists took inspiration from celebrities, consumerism, advertising to create art that was a middle ground between low and high culture, and pop art was born.
Andy Warhol was the most popular pop artist. Warhol’s works catapulted the art world to celebrity status. He was often found partying with the stars he illustrated, which paved the way for pop art to not only question but also endorse the culture it portrayed.
Pop Art in Australia
Aussie pop art is daring, energetic and sometimes even erotic. In the 1960s, the immensely conservative Australian society began opening up and some pop artists began challenging the prevailing social norms.
Just like British pop art, Australian pop art typically combined collage and painting styles and even included abstract elements. Pop art invariably became a part of ongoing discussions about regionalism vs internationalism, and Australian pop typically combined local and international styles.
Popism!
In the year 1982, the National Gallery of Victoria organised an exhibition titled ‘Popism’. Curated by Paul Taylor, a young art critic who had a penchant for provocation. The exhibit showcased works from 12 Australian artists including Tsk Tsk Tsk, Imants Tillers and Jenny Watson.
‘Popism’ invited all the stakeholders (the institution and the public at large) to come to terms. Popism took images from ordinary life to create something that popped out.
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