United Kingdom: the Independent Group Pop art

richard hamilton s collage makes today s homes different, appealing? (1956) 1 of earliest works considered pop art .

the independent group (ig), founded in london in 1952, regarded precursor pop art movement. gathering of young painters, sculptors, architects, writers , critics challenging prevailing modernist approaches culture traditional views of fine art. group discussions centered on pop culture implications elements such mass advertising, movies, product design, comic strips, science fiction , technology. @ first independent group meeting in 1952, co-founding member, artist , sculptor eduardo paolozzi presented lecture using series of collages titled bunk! had assembled during time in paris between 1947 , 1949. material of found objects such advertising, comic book characters, magazine covers , various mass-produced graphics represented american popular culture. 1 of collages in presentation paolozzi s rich man s plaything (1947), includes first use of word pop , appearing in cloud of smoke emerging revolver. following paolozzi s seminal presentation in 1952, ig focused on imagery of american popular culture, particularly mass advertising.

according son of john mchale, term pop art first coined father in 1954 in conversation frank cordell, although other sources credit origin british critic lawrence alloway. (both versions agree term used in independent group discussions mid-1955.)

pop art moniker used in discussions ig members in second session of ig in 1955, , specific term pop art first appeared in published print in article today collect ads ig members alison , peter smithson in ark magazine in 1956. however, term credited british art critic/curator lawrence alloway 1958 essay titled arts , mass media, though precise language uses popular mass culture . furthermore, meant not means now. used term, , pop culture refer products of mass media, not works of art draw upon popular culture. in case, sometime between winter of 1954-55 , 1957 phrase acquired currency in conversation... nevertheless, alloway 1 of leading critics defend inclusion of imagery of mass culture in fine arts. alloway clarified these terms in 1966, @ time pop art had transited art schools , small galleries major force in artworld. success had not been in england. practically simultaneously, , independently, new york city had become hotbed pop art.

in london, annual royal society of british artists (rba) exhibition of young talent in 1960 first showed american pop influences. in january 1961, famous rba-young contemporaries of put david hockney, american r b kitaj, new zealander billy apple, allen jones, derek boshier, joe tilson, patrick caulfield, peter phillips , peter blake on map; apple designed posters , invitations both 1961 , 1962 young contemporaries exhibitions. hockney, kitaj , blake went on win prizes @ john-moores-exhibition in liverpool in same year. apple , hockney traveled new york during royal college s 1961 summer break, when apple first made contact andy warhol – both later moved united states , apple became involved new york pop art scene.