Pop Art and the American Dream - Know Before You Go

This talk explores the works by the most celebrated American Pop artists, including Andy Warhol, James Rosenquist, and Roy Lichtenstein to Jasper Johns and Wayne Thiebaud– who all boldly experimented with new media and the American Dream. In the years following World War II, the United States enjoyed an unprecedented period of economic and political growth which led to an explosive change of our culture. Television, dishwashers, cars, Elvis Presley, and Marilyn Monroe were suddenly everywhere. Taking inspiration from the world around them – billboard advertising, global politics, Hollywood and household objects, American Pop artists began creating art directly from everyday items, consumer goods, and mass media. They created paintings, prints and sculptures, using bold primary colors, often straight from the can or tube of paint. They adopted commercial methods like silk screening, challenging prevailing concepts of originality. These works were in marked contrast to the highly expressive, large-scaled abstract works of the Abstract Expressionists, whose work had dominated postwar American art. Pop art became both a response to the changing times, and also the newest product. This talk is part of the Central Library's Know BEFORE You Go! series in partnership with the Community Speakers Program at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.

Location

visit website

Date and Time for this Past Event

• Sunday, Aug 5, 2018  3 - 4:15 PM