Essay 2 - Image notes

Andy Warhol - Coca-cola [3]

-       Symbol of globalisation and industrialisation and ultimately popular culture

-       Warhol was the driving force of the movement pop art

-       His subjects were celebrities and mass trends, something everyone could look at and understand, broke the barriers between high and low brow within the art institutions which was previously entirely elitist – gave way for a type of high art that incorporated subjects for the average Joe – music and art became interchangeable

-       Unlike Pollock’s work who was extremely notable and popular, however more conceptual – with Warhol what you see is what you get, a post-modernist approach where little is up for interpretation – completely different attitude to Pollock, whose focus was on interpretation and feeling without illustration – for a more specific intellectual audience

-        Warhol literally made mass producible works, using the medium of screen printing, to mirror the commercialisation of produce – coca cola – everyone was drinking the same thing, people could wear the same things – new era – his works were imperfect because it wasn’t about the art anymore, everyone got it so it was essentially ‘dumbed down’ art for the masses

-       his art showed the relationship between artistic expression and celebrity culture

-       ‘post-industrial commercial phenomena’
-   RELATE TO HIGH VS LOW BROW – broke the barriers within society and opened up a new era for art and its place within society – no longer for an elitist few – enabled a wider spread of pop culture as it broke through previously highbrow institution

It is interesting how dumbed down art is being sold for so much – shows how popularity and acknowledgement trumps institution – ironically art set for a commercial reason will be considered ‘highbrow’ based on its worth, thus this is simply due to appealing to a wider audience – juxtaposing the idea of high art and the elitist institution – more recognised art can gain greater worth

Shepard Fairey - Obama Hope 

-       mass production, quick spread through mass media outlets

-       simplistic design – image and one bold word written in a san-serif typeface to keep it as impartial and clear as possible

-       colours are patriotic and relatable to the intended audience, sending an obvious message – thus the design is targeted for the widest audience – as it is a political campaign seeking votes – thus mass audience = popular culture – no specific target audience – all inclusive and as neutral as possible

Peter Blake - Sgt Peppers

-       mergence of music and art culture

-       music setting trends – huge outlet for popular culture – there was a mass scale for ‘idols’ and bands had huge followings and influence – nowadays due to outlets such as Spotify and iTunes people have access to an entire library of varying music on one device, meaning specific bands have less influence and following and people’s music is more diversified, however at the time of the Beatles there was an unbelievable following and their influence on trend-setting stimulated the 60s hippie movement and lsd culture, which was ultimately the popular culture of the time.

-       followed trends of the time – psychedelia – vibrancy with colour,

-       use of celebrities to appeal to a wider audience