Pop Art

Pop Art was born in Britain in the middle of 1950s. It appreciates popular culture- ,,material culture''. It does not critique the consequences of materialism and consumerism. It elevated the imagery of popular culture of advertising (packaging,comic strips) to fine art. It was acquiring consumer goods, responding to them by clever advertisements and by building more effective forms of communication with masses (movies, television, newspapers and magazines). They wanted to express their optimism and they were rebelling against the esoteric vocabulary of abstract art.

Characteristics:

•  They had images which were very recognizable, drawn from popular media and products
• Bright and colorful images
• Innovative use of media in sculpture
• Most of them influenced by comic books and newspaper photographs
• Flat images
• Use of celebrities in most of the images, fictional characters from comic books, fan magazines and advertisements

Seymor Chwast

Seymor Chwast was one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century, and he was founder of Push Pin Studious. Without him it would be very difficult for graphic design and illustration to happen in that way that it was back then, or even now. 

He is familiar by his unique style of illustrations. Very playful, expressive approach to type and layout was the point of a new design wave based on revivalism- radical alternative to the Swiss formalism of he time. The style which he has created is a synonymous with the most creative and progressive aspects of graphic art and design.

His designs and illustrations have been used for advertising, animated films, TV, graphics, record covers, trade and children's books, package designs, posters and magazines. He also created innovative alphabet designs which are widely used. He co-designed and art directed Audience, magazine on the arts as Tube, magazine for children. Acclaimed covers for Time magazine, work commissioned by Mobil Oil, J.C. Penny, IBM, General Foods, Chrysler Corporation, Peugeot, MGM, Doubleday, CBS, etc. 

References:

Pop Art - Art History Basics on Pop Art - mid-1950s to Early 1970s. 2014.Pop Art - Art History Basics on Pop Art - mid-1950s to Early 1970s. [ONLINE] Available at: http://arthistory.about.com/od/modernarthistory/a/Pop-Art-Art-History-101-Basics.htm. [Accessed 18 January 2014].

Seymour Chwast Biography. 2014. Seymour Chwast Biography. [ONLINE] Available at: http://rogallery.com/Chwast_Seymour/chwast-bio.htm. [Accessed 18 January 2014].