This movement challenged traditions of fine art by including imagery from popular and mass culture, such as advertising, comic books and mundane cultural objects. One of its aims is to use images of popular (as opposed to elitist) culture in art, emphasising the banal or kitschy elements of any culture.
Andy Warhol, the most famous figure in Pop Art, explored the relationship between artistic expression, celebrity culture and advertising that flourished by the 1960s. It spanned a variety of media, including painting, silkscreening, photography, film and sculpture.
Prof du Preez elaborates, “No longer did the artist look towards nature for inspiration but got inspiration from culture and the imagery available in mass culture specifically. The art work also no longer represents a window onto the world, but becomes a flat surface obsessed with mere appearances.”
