In the 1950s, a young man from Pittsburgh named Andy Warhol made a comfortable living as a commercial illustrator in New York. But his ambitions went far beyond that; soon he was painting Coca-Cola bottles and filling a gallery with paintings of Campbell's soup cans. He certainly wasn't the first to make a Pop work, but Warhol quickly became a brand himself, synonymous with the new art form that embodied everything that was young, subversive, bright and fresh.
From proto-supermodel Twiggy rocking false eyelashes and a Union Jack dress in Swinging London to Eero Aarnio's trippy, enveloping Ball chair, pop has infiltrated fashion, furniture and product design so deeply that It's hard to separate the look and feel of the 1960s and 70s from the art of the era. Perhaps much to Warhol's delight, pop didn't just tap into pop culture, it became pop culture.
After this first wave, the movement never really disappeared. Each successive generation of artists and designers has revived Pop's life force while giving it a new direction. Indeed, with Instagram and TikTok on the ubiquitous pop-colored iPhones, social media is to today's adherents what advertising and Hollywood were to pop artists sixty years ago.
Following the success of our Travel series, Assouline presents the Style series, highlighting some of the most iconic art movements and design styles, revealing their historical impact and continuing influence on our culture today. This colorful volume brings together dynamic images from various eras and media to express the energy and exuberance of sixty years of Pop Art style.