American Pop art was a major reaction against the Abstract
Expressionism that dominated painting in the United States in the late 1940s
and 19SOs. American art had a long tradition of interest in immediate environment
that extended to the trompe-l 'oeil paintings of the nineteenth century
and was kept alive by many of the Precisionist painters during the early
twentieth century. Marcel Duchamp's long stay in the US and his antiart
program had a gradually increasing influence on younger artists during the
1950s. This could also be said about Leger's machine Cubism. Leger, during
his stay in America in the 1940s, became involved in an almost literal exaltation
of the industrial scene. Duchamp, let younger painters back to Dada and
Kurt Schwitters, who has been the greater influence on Pop artists aside
from Duchamp. In the latter 1 950s, artists were becoming concerned
with Pop art and pop culture not only in England but also in France, where
the movement known as le nouveau realisme was gaining strength.
Pop Art, however, was given a wider berth in the United States in the 1960s. This art had a natural appeal to American artists, who lived amidst the most blatant and pervasive industrial and commercial environment. American artists realized the tremendous possibilities of their every day environment in the creation of subject matter, resulting in a more aggressive, bold, and overpowering art.
Some American Pop Artists:
Pop Art, See also Pop Artist
