12.1 Appropriation and Recontextualization of Popular Imagery

Pop Art shook up the art world by using everyday images in new ways. Artists grabbed stuff from ads, magazines, and TV, mixing it into their work. This approach challenged old ideas about what art should be.

By using familiar objects and icons, Pop artists commented on consumer culture and mass media. They blurred the lines between high art and popular culture, making art more accessible and relatable to everyday people.

Appropriation and Recontextualization Techniques

Artistic Strategies for Repurposing Existing Imagery

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• Appropriation involves borrowing, copying, or using pre-existing images, objects, or elements of popular culture in the creation of a new artwork
  • Challenges traditional notions of originality and authorship in art
  • Examples include Andy Warhol's use of Campbell's Soup cans and Marilyn Monroe portraits
• Recontextualization places familiar images or objects in new or unexpected contexts
  • Alters the original meaning or interpretation of the appropriated imagery
  • Creates new associations, commentary, or critique (Duchamp's "Fountain")
• Collage combines various found images, materials, or objects to create a new composition
  • Juxtaposes disparate elements to generate new meanings or narratives
  • Techniques include cutting, pasting, and assembling (Hannah Hoch's photomontages)

Readymades as a Form of Appropriation

• Readymades are everyday manufactured objects selected and designated as art by the artist
  • Challenges traditional notions of artistic skill and creativity
  • Shifts focus to the conceptual aspects of art and the role of the artist
• Marcel Duchamp pioneered the concept with works like "Bicycle Wheel" (1913) and "Fountain" (1917)
  • Questioned the boundaries between art and everyday objects
  • Influenced the development of conceptual art and Pop Art

Sources of Imagery

Found Imagery and Everyday Objects

• Found imagery refers to pre-existing images or objects discovered and incorporated into artworks
  • Sources include magazines, newspapers, advertisements, and photographs
  • Allows artists to comment on and critique contemporary society and culture
• Pop artists often used found imagery to blur the lines between high art and popular culture
  • Robert Rauschenberg's "Combines" incorporated found objects and images
  • Tom Wesselmann's "Still Life" series featured everyday objects like radios and food

Mass Media and Popular Culture

• Mass media includes various forms of communication that reach large audiences (television, radio, print media)
  • Provides a rich source of imagery and iconography for Pop artists
  • Reflects the pervasive influence of media on society and culture
• Pop artists often appropriated imagery from popular culture, such as celebrities, comic books, and consumer products
  • Roy Lichtenstein's comic book-inspired paintings ("Whaam!")
  • Andy Warhol's silkscreen prints of celebrities and consumer goods (Marilyn Monroe, Campbell's Soup cans)

Cultural Icons and Symbols

• Cultural icons are widely recognized and celebrated figures or symbols within a society
  • Represent shared values, beliefs, or ideals
  • Examples include political leaders, celebrities, and fictional characters (Mao Zedong, Elvis Presley, Mickey Mouse)
• Pop artists often used cultural icons as subjects to explore the cult of celebrity and the impact of mass media on society
  • Andy Warhol's portraits of Mao Zedong and Elvis Presley
  • Claes Oldenburg's sculptures of everyday objects as cultural symbols ("Clothespin," "Lipstick (Ascending) on Caterpillar Tracks")

Reproduction and Simulation

Mechanical Reproduction and the Democratization of Art

• Reproduction refers to the creation of multiple copies of an artwork through mechanical or technological means
  • Challenges the notion of the unique, hand-crafted artwork
  • Enables the mass production and dissemination of art to a wider audience
• Pop artists embraced reproduction techniques like silkscreen printing and lithography
  • Andy Warhol's silkscreen prints of celebrities and consumer products
  • Roy Lichtenstein's use of Ben-Day dots to mimic the appearance of comic book prints

Simulacra and the Blurring of Reality

• Simulacra are copies or imitations that blur the distinction between reality and representation
  • Raises questions about authenticity and the nature of reality in a media-saturated world
  • Philosopher Jean Baudrillard explored the concept in relation to postmodern culture
• Pop artists often created works that simulated or imitated real objects or images
  • Claes Oldenburg's oversized, soft sculptures of everyday objects ("Floor Burger," "Soft Toilet")
  • Tom Wesselmann's "Bedroom Paintings" that simulate domestic interiors

Postmodernism and the Critique of Originality

• Postmodernism is a philosophical and cultural movement that emerged in the late 20th century
  • Challenges grand narratives, universal truths, and the notion of originality in art
  • Embraces irony, pastiche, and the blurring of boundaries between high and low culture
• Pop Art's use of appropriation and reproduction techniques aligns with postmodern ideas
  • Questions the cult of the artist as a unique, creative genius
  • Challenges the hierarchy between fine art and popular culture
• Postmodern artists like Sherrie Levine and Jeff Koons further explored appropriation and simulation
  • Levine's "After Walker Evans" series directly reproduced famous photographs
  • Koons' "Banality" series featured sculptures based on kitsch objects and images