The Meaning and Purpose of Pop Art In Light of the Works of Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein

Essay from the year 2012 in the subject Art - History of Art, grade: 1,7, University of Essex (Art History), course: Art in the USA, language: English, abstract: The classic period of Pop art can be set from 1956 to 1968, although it was never an organized movement or a single group of artists. Pop art drew on imagery from popular culture, for example advertising or comics and emerged in the urban landscape of London and New York City. It never existed without harsh criticism; in fact it was always despised by the critics, but loved by the popular masses. This essay is going to examine the meaning and purpose of Pop art in light of the critical quotation presented above. The observations made will be clarified on the basis of the works of Andy Warhol (1928-1987) and Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997), two of the main representatives of American Pop art.