Pop Art & Psychedelic Era

Figure 1

The pop-art movement starts in the mid-1950s and ended in the late 1970s. The movement was a big cultural phenomenon in Britain and America. The term Pop-Art was invented by the art critique Lawrence Alloway.

As a rejection of Abstract Expressionism, where the non-figurative paintings were understood by few and weren’t connecting with the general public, here everyday objects become a piece of fine art.

” The basic idea behind Pop-art was to create a form of art with instant meaning. To accomplish their goal Pop artists experiment with new commercial processes.” ” ( http://www.visual-arts-cork.com)
The characteristics of the compositions were the use of high contrasting colours but simple and appealing.

Figure 2

This artwork (figure 2) inspired by Marilyn Monroe was done by the artist Andy Warhol, one of the most popular artists of the time. Before achieving worldwide fame with his artworks he has a career as a commercial illustrator.

The Psychedelic era

Figure 3

Started in 1960 till 1975 has a big impact in many fields such as literature, art, and music. This movement was influenced by psychedelic drugs like LSD and psilocybin. All artworks depict the inner world of the mind featuring distorted visuals, bright colors, full-spectrum and animation (including cartoons) were included to evoke psychedelic experiences.

One of the most known designer posters from the psychedelic era is Wes Wilson. He invented the style we know today as the peace movement. What inspired the colour palette that Wilson was using is the light show of the concerts.

Figure 4
Wes Wilson, Cover Playboy 1967

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