Neo-pop (also known as new pop) is a postmodern art art movement that surged in the 1980s and 1990s. It is a resurgent, evolved, and modern version of the ideas of pop art artists from the 50s, capturing some of its commercial ideas and kitsch aspects. However, unlike in pop art, Neo-pop takes inspiration from a wider amount of sources and techniques.[Fred S. Kleiner, Helen Gardner, Christin J. Mamiya, Richard G. Tansey, Gardner's Art Through the Ages, Chapters 19–34, Thomson Wadsworth, 2004, pp. 1068. ]
Context
Neo-pop art's visuals don't retain many aspects of traditional pop art but rather convey its ideas into modern times. Neo-pop takes elements from pop art like its emphasis on
popular culture,
consumerism, and
mass media and its bright color palette. The visuals are mainly rooted in vibrant colors, diverse patterns (like polka dots, flowers, hearts, stars, lines, etc.), and a mix of imagery from everyday life, like advertisements and pop culture. Neo-pop artists often took inspiration from celebrities,
Cartoon, and iconic trademarks to make their artworks. Defined as a resurgence of the aesthetics and ideas from the mid-20th century movement capturing the characteristics of pop art like intentional kitsch and interest in
commercialism.
[ Contemporary Pop Artists Who Keep the Movement Alive Today — My Modern Met]
Notable artists
The term (which was originated in 1992 by Japanese critic Noi Sawaragi)
[ The Kings of Neo Pop] refers to artists influenced by
pop art and
popular culture imagery, such as
Jeff Koons,
Romero Britto,
Damien Hirst and
Peter Mars, but also artists working in
graffiti and cartoon art, such as
Keith Haring and
Kenny Scharf.
[Peter Childs, Mike Storry, Encyclopedia of Contemporary British Culture, Taylor & Francis, 1999, p. 413. ]
Japanese artist Takashi Murakami is described as the first of the Japanese neo-pop artists to "break the ice in terms of recycling Japanese pop culture".[Smith, Roberta. "From a mushroom cloud, a burst of art reflecting Japan's psyche". The New York Times 8, no. 04 (2005): B28.] Japanese neo-pop known as Superflat is associated with the otaku subculture and the obsessive interests in anime, manga and other forms of pop culture. Artist Kenji Yanobe exemplifies this approach to art and fandom.[Munroe, Alexandra. "Introducing Little Boy". In Little Boy: The Arts of Japan's Exploding Subcultures, edited by Takashi Murakami. pp. 241–61. Exh. cat. New York: Japan Society; New Haven: Yale University Press, 2005.]
See also
External links
