Pop artist icons that inspired the future generation of artists

Pop art started as a movement surfacing in the 1950s and fully blossomed later in the 1960s. It began as a protest against the artistic views on what art should be, where young artists were unable to connect to their art due to old fashioned teaching methods. The pop art movement led to a major shift towards modernism in the culture of art. Themes such as mythology, morality, history and faith were substituted with familiar objects from everyday life establishing an easy way for individuals to connect and relate to pieces and its message. Some of the most iconic artists who have inspired today’s pop artists are notably Andy Warhol and Roy Lichenstein.

Andy Warhol is one of the most prolific pop artists around, introducing new forms of expression. He had several mediums of creating his art including silk screening, printmaking and photography.  

Another main figure was Roy Lichenstein. Having attended art classes at a young age, he learnt how to paint from a model and was immediately bothered by the lack of creativity and personalisation within the art. Lichtenstein’s use of ben-day dots, stripes and primary colours resulted as a huge inspiration within contemporary art, with Lichtenstein being known for his unique combination of humour, irony and recognizable imagery, combined with cultural themes from television, films, cartoons and advertisements.

Warhol and Lichenstein’s artwork has served as an inspiration for artists globally and 50 years later, pop art still remains relevant. Many of today’s artists focus on delivering a message that relates to mass consumerism within our everyday lives, as is expressed with Italian pop artist virtuoso. Luca Valentini, a modern pop artist who follows the same core values that were created during the pop art movement. Luca Valentini describes his work as an “expression of the true nature of the society in which we live today”. Within Valentini’s latest exhibition “Turn on the Light,” it showcases 24 unique works, split into two series, the first series emphasizing on newspaper covers, movie posters and advertisements whilst the second series have a focus on Valentini’s origin, being reconstructed and expressed in a modern way. Through his artwork, key messages are forged, with the purpose of each piece to evoke feelings and ideas he puts into his art in order to establish a connection between the work and the viewer so that the latter can draw inspiration for their own reflection.

http://www.lucavalentini.art/