The painting of a house was created by Roy Lichtenstein, a foremost Pop artist, The work was designed as an optical illusion. The house was inverted; the point that seemed the nearest corner was actually the farthest from the viewer. Pop Art emerged in England and also in the US in the late 1950s. It drew from mass culture, such as advertising and comics. It was considered either a reaction or an extension to abstract expressionism. Images of mass culture were deliberately used, which were far removed from the artistic elitist culture. It emphasized the everyday elements found in any culture. It aimed to present art that any viewers would understand and accept. Critics disapproved, seeing it as of no value. (See works by Andy Warhol who painted large canvasses of identical images, such as his "Marilyns,' and his tins of "Campbell Soup.") Pop art at aimed for a large audience, made up of people from all walks of life. It was recognized by the mid-1960's. Pop Art was transient, expendable, low-cost, mass-produced and gimmicky. Its every day values had a special appeal to Big Business, giving the latter the opportunity to take advantage thereby expanding and gaining a lucrative success. Copyright. Margaret Houghton |
