Pop to Popism

Pop Art was one of the defining art movements of the 20th century because it brought mass entertainment and consumerism into the hallowed halls of art galleries and museums worldwide.

The artists themselves were consumed by early pop culture whether that was advertising, product design, television and they meshed this with powerful political movements of the 50’s, 60’s and the 70’s.

Many of the artists that emmersed themselves in the Pop movement are now household names. The likes of Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Brett Whitely allowed the art movement to grow with the times which is why such an exhibition called Pop to Popism, now showing at the NSW Art Gallery in Sydney Australia, is so important.

The exhibition is exclusive to Sydney and has taken over a whole level of the gallery with more than 200 works with 70 of pops greatest artists.

When you first enter the gallery you are auotmatically taken back in time to an era long gone but one you feel you have seen many time before. And some of the classic works from Andy Warhol in particular you recognise.

What I didnt realise was the scope of Pop, it wasnt contained in UK and USA and there were pop explosions throughout europe, to russia and even a large expansion in Australia and New Zealand.

The largest piece is a Brett Whiteley 22 metre-long free standing collage called The American Dream which takes up a full exhibtion room and chronicles his own life movement from New York, to the Pacific and eventually resting in Australia. There’s also the famous Marilyn Monroe faces by Andy Warhol which has crowds tranced.

The exhibition includes works of art on loan from 49 institutions and private collections worldwide, including the Tate and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; the National Gallery of Art, Washington; the Museum of Modern Art and the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, New York and the Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh.

Time is running out to catch Pop to popism at the Art Gallery of New South Wales as it closes on 1 March 2015.

If you are heading to Sydney over the next few weeks for business and/or pleasure take an hour out of your day to enjoy this unique exhibition. For more information visit the website.