What is pop art?
Pop art is art made about Liked by lots of people. things and people, such as singers and actors.
Pop art became popular in the 1960s. It is usually very Something that gets someone’s attention easily. and uses bright and bold colours.
Andy Warhol was one of many artists who made pop art.
Watch: Andy Warhol - the pop artist
Find out about the life and work of Andy Warhol
Narrator: Andy Warhol was born in Pittsburgh, USA in 1928.
As a child, he sometimes missed school due to illness and spent the time reading comics.
He took free art classes and eventually went to college.
He then moved to New York.
Warhol's first job was illustrating adverts in fashion.
That's how he became interested in art and celebrities.
This inspired him to explore popular events, celebrities and fashion through his art, films and in particular photography.
But he became really well-known for screen printing in the 1960s, which allowed him to make lots of versions of the same image.
Andy Warhol took everyday things and turned them into works of art.
He influenced other artists and pop art was loved all over the world.
Who was Andy Warhol?
Andy Warhol was an American pop artist. He was born in 1928 and died in 1987.
One of Andy Warhol’s most famous pieces of work is a An image made by pushing a design onto a surface. of the well-known actress Marilyn Monroe.
Pop artists also made art about popular things. For example, Warhol is famous for his print of a can of soup.
Andy Warhol often repeated his prints many times. He used a method called A way of making prints using a squeegee (a tool with a rubber blade and handle). The same print can be made lots of times. to make many of his artworks.
Andy Warhol's factfile
Some of Andy Warhol's interests and inspirations
What is screen printing?
Screen printing is a way of making prints. The same print can be made lots of times.
A tool called a A long tool with a rubber blade and handle. It's used to pull an even amount of printing ink across a stencilled image. is used to scrape and push printing paint through a special screen. The screen is made of a material called mesh , which has small holes in it.
The design is on the mesh of the screen. The paint pushes through and prints the design onto paper or material.
You can make as many prints as you like from the screen.
How to make pop art like Andy Warhol did
Image caption, 1. Materials you will need
First, ask an adult to help you get ready. You will need at least four pieces of card or paper in bright colours and some paint.
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Activity
Did you know?
- Pop art is short for Popular Art.
- One of Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe prints sold for $195 million (£158.17 million).
- A pop artist called Roy Lichtenstein made pop art inspired by comic strips.
- Many famous pop artists are American but David Hockney is a British artist who made pop art in the 1960s.
Quiz
Glossary
Here are the meanings of some important words.
Eye-catching - Something that gets someone’s attention easily.
Popular - Liked by lots of people.
Print - An image made by pushing a design onto a surface. Screen printing - A way of making prints using a squeegee. The same print can be made lots of times.
Squeegee - A long tool with a rubber blade and handle. It's used to pull an even amount of printing ink across a stencilled image.
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