PART A
Watch the following video:
Read the following article and note especially how the images in F-111 are interpreted in relation to the VietNam war.
View this video of the full F-111 installation
****Post a comment and discuss:
the relevance of Pop art to contemporary life,
the ways in which Pop art can convey political meaning,
and/or whether or not Pop art is “old fashioned” or irrelevant since it is 50 years old.
PART B
View this interview of the artist reflecting on his work
Read some (or all) of this interview and look at all of the pictures.
mygbkartclasses 
Relevance to contemporary life: it changed what contemporary life was by presenting new ideas.
How it can convey political meaning: Keith Herring is an excellent example of how pop art can convey political meaning. He used his art to portray political images and as a means of making people more aware of the AIDS crisis.
Whether it’s old fashioned or irrelevant: No, because we still have popular culture.
Great example in referencing Haring. It was a major force in bringing awareness to the issue.
1. Pop art reflects modern pop culture. It shows another way to look at any object.
2. A pop artist may make a certain piece of art to show their political views to try to influence others.
3. I am not a fan of pop art, but I do not think that it is old fashioned. Many people are creating pop art today, and many others are influenced by it.
Check out how Rosenquist makes a political statement with F111 – VietNam may see like a long time ago. I wonder if there is a contemporary version of Pop art protesting the war in Afghanistan…..
1. Pop art relates to contemporary life because it mirrors what is happening in the modern world with simple, everyday objects and ideas. It gives people the opportunity to look at a normal “insignificant” thing as a piece of art.
2. Keith Herring used pop art as a political tool by using it to give more awareness to AIDS.
3. I don’t think Pop art is old fashioned, since people are still creating it today.
Haring is a favorite, isn’t he? Do you see the connections between F-111 and VietNam?
I really liked the painting (the first one, I think) that remined me of spaghetti. And then the next one that gives me a visual of a walking tree. All the paintings immediately give me images that are simliar to them. Pop art can convey political meaning, by painters painting about what goes on in the world or something that gives a painting a political meaning.
How do you interpret that subject matter like spaghetti in connection to politics? Do you agree with Rosenquist about those associations?
1. Pop art broke down the barriers between fine art and popular culture. Everyday objects and ideas are seen as art-worthy.
2. Pop art can be used to convey a message to the masses. Because the pop art artists consider any blank space to be a possible canvas, for example, Haring’s subway drawings, the art reaches more eyes and awareness is spread.
3. I don’t think that pop art is considered old-fashioned. It is still a style that is constantly being used and influencing new artists. The concept of pop art is to take the ordinary and “vulgar” and bring attention to it in a new light. This will never be irrelevant, as there will always be popular culture.
Pop art is almost the establishment now isn’t it?!
I think that pop art is relevant to modern life as it shows basically what is going on at that particular time – people (presidents/actors/musicians or anyone in the public spotlight), advertisements for new products, and anything else that is important or appearing a lot in the media. Pop art can convey political messages in the way that it characterizes people or the issues that the artist chooses to include. I don’t think that it’s old fashioned – there is a lot of modern pop art, although it may be slightly different than the pop-art found 50 years ago. It still will be used to convey what people think about what’s going on.
Mass media and the paparazzi certainly enhance the subject matter for the pop artist don’t they?
1. Pop art is still seen everywhere today and is used a lot in advertisements. It can also show the artist’s perspective on something.
2. Pop art can show the political view of the artist and can affect the view of other people.
3. I don’t think that pop art is old fashioned or irrelevant even though it is fifty years old. It is still art that someone put time and effort into.
It is all around us still isn’t it? How do you interpret the politics of F-111?
I think that pop art represents culture as time travels and shows it with new and contemporary ideas and forms. The facts discussed about pop art representing politics are key because politics are such a moving form of popular culture but still with a very strong historic background. I think pop art is an interesting and creative way to represent a popular view, and I don’t think it can be simply categorized as old fashion or not. There are parts of it that strongly reflect older habits and older cultures yet parts that continue to represent current issues and events.
Think we should consider Andy Warhol and Mick Jaggeras older habits? I has been 50 years……
1. Pop art definitely was relevant to contemporary life because it gave another lens to look at things. If you look at how large some of the works by Rosenquist are, you can see that he definitely paid a lot of attention to the detail that normal people wouldn’t do on a normal basis.
2. Pop art can certainly make works that reflect their political views, I mean, if you think about it, it’s sort of like a type of propaganda. The piece about Vietnam is a perfect example.
3. Personally I don’t think pop art is old-fashioned, however, you can say that it had it’s big moment in the late 50s. I also think that it’s constantly changing as the culture is.
You are so right; it is a good way of looking at art styles – as a “lens to look at things.”
Ramsey Kerr
In contemporary life pop art can be used to express what someone wants others to feel about a product or the art. When someone thinks of an idea or a product, they think of the pop art associated with that idea or product.
in the same way the makers of the art want the people looking at the art to think of an idea they can be used to make people associate political ides with people, like the obama hope picture.
i do not think pop art is used widely and commonly, but it is still used commercially.
You make a good point Ramsey. It’s interesting how it went from commercial purposes to fine art and now returns to be used primarily in commercial contexts.
Its relevance to contemporary life can be shown by the peoples reactions towards the paintings and how the painter “went on a limb” to display new ideas to the public.
Harring was a perfect example of how to integrate political opinion into drawings.
I, personally, like most pop art mainly because of the bold messages and colors. It is not irreverent because the pop artists added their new ideas and personal twists to that category that has lead to modern day art.
Good points. Risk taking is an important part to art and ideas!
Good points… risk taking is so important to art in style and idea!
Pop art is filled with imagery that most people take for granted: soup cans, lipstick and other products, and transforms them into art more easily connected to by contemporary culture. Pop art expressed the consumerism of 50’s and 60’s England and America, and connected with the masses, not just hoitey-toitey abstract expressionists. It provided an outlet for war protests and contemporary movements. People like Rosenquist and Warhol were able to bring Art back into popularity with regular people
Glad you mentioned England!. It actually started in England when they became enamored with “modern” consumer products and powerful, bold cars available to the middle class post WWII.
pop art can be used to have political or social influences and can change the way people view a subject. it is not an old or out dated form of art and can still be used to convey political and social messages in modern culture.
What did you think of Rosenquist’s Pop political statement in F-111?
(I’m not really sure what happened because I did post a comment before and it didn’t show up….so I guess I will post again.)
I think that pop art is important because it conveys political views and ideas, and the artist can express how they see things that are going on. It also gives you an idea of the things that are happening now and are important or influential whether that’s a celebrity or politician or invention, or war, or even advertising — things that are important/affect an average person.
I don’t think pop art may be considered “old fashioned” because of the bright colors and style of printing with many dots. However, beyond this, I think that pop art is very relevant and important in expressing the ideas of the people and has had an important effect on people.
Comments show up after I approve them so you won’t see it right away. You have good handle on all the pop arenas that can influence art from ads to celebrities….
Pop art is important because it captures the pop culture in a certain time, and can be looked back as a type of source for historical information. I think that pop art can be used to spread messages that are relevant to the time period. Also, since pop art is more targeted to the average person, it is especially helpful in getting the attention of everyone. I don’t consider pop art “old fashioned” because you still see it everywhere, especially the iconic dot-style pop art. However, it’s impact is out dated because everyone is used to the idea of pop art now.
Annabelle, you have good insights into why pop art is effective for artists who have a political message.
Pop art is still very relevant in our lives, as it almost became the normal. It creates an effect that shows political relevance, while still being nice to look at and something we can have in our homes or on the streets. It stands out and catches your eye, and isn’t something that is just avoiding. The specific style may be a little out dated, with the printing of many dots, but the idea is still there. Keith Herring is a great example of this, and how art can influence daily life.
Keith Haring became so much a part of our everyday lives that he was even on Sesame Street!
Pop art seems like a cross between regular art, and propaganda. It can be used to spread messages, like in the video with the aids awareness art. It can also be used for pure entertainment, or as a statement on popular culture. Pop art is really just anything that conveys a popular message in an artistic form.
How would you define propaganda? Is it different than the artist putting a vision to a political point of view as in Rosenquist’s F-111?
Pop art is relevant to contemporary life because it captures the ideas of the time period.The pop artists share their attitudes through their art and include basic daily life objects in their art, creating art directed towards the general population as opposed to the art for the elite.
Pop art conveys political messages as the artists express their opinions in their art and use it as a way to spread political images. People see the art and are often influenced by the artists through viewing their art. Pop art can also spread awareness.
Pop art is still relevant as we can always continue to study art and learn about the time period.
Pop art is important because it can express emotions and occurrences in abstract ways that can then be interpreted based on one’s own experiences and feelings about the subject. Pop art can also convey political meaning though the same ways as through contemporary life and leave room for personal opinion and feeling. I don’t think pop art is old-fashioned because it is still relevant to today’s society, but the subjects it tends to convey are generally leaning towards subjects of the past.
But I can imagine a way to update it, especially with the technological objects….which will be outdated then too!
Pop art is relevant in our lives since it still has meaning and messages. Pop art can be used to show political opinions of the artist and show others their views on the subject. I do not think pop art is out dated since it still has the same meanings and messages.
But as someone pointed out earlier, the Pop art of the 60’s has a kind of vintage look.
Do you think the political message of F-111 is readily understood or is it mostly appreciated for its decorative qualities?
Do you think that most people understand the way Rosenquist described the messages told in her
extremely creative F-111 pop art painting
Probably not but that is what makes the art experience rich, the meaning can grow the more you study it and think about it.
I really like how much diversity the Rosenquist pieces have. One is a giant wall mural, one is a photo held to a frame by wires, and another is two sticks in barbed wire. I also like how Keith Herring helped develop pop culture and bring about aids awareness.
Good point Clara….he was always thinking of new aspects in presentation. Keith Haring started outside the museum gallery system and even after he got into it, he kept marketing his work for a larger audience. He even had work on Sesame Street (but not the Aids Awareness pieces!)
Pop art is relevant to contemporary life because it’s a window into another time. This is nice to have because the past can change what happens in the future. Also how the artist creates the art can affect how the viewer feels towards one subject or another.
Pop art can sometimes lead to a clear picture of the past. In F-111 the images capture the lifestyle of the war time. For Rosenquist, as he did the piece, could express how he saw things in politics without giving a statement in words that could get someone in trouble or cast a negative light onto him . This way he can show what he feels or experiences without putting words to his name that might get him into trouble.
Pop art is definitely (to me) old fashioned because most of the time it shows stuff that happened many years ago. Like in Andy Warhol’s prints of Marilyn Monroe that puts a time stamp on that. Not to say that pop art should stay in the past. People still create it today and it’s accepted.
Great points Maia! It is especially interesting how contemporary art that seems so cutting edge at the time is transformed over time to “date stamp” a period.
I find it verry interesting how rosenquist used the leaves for the womans hair in the first picture but I am also very curious about what his inspiration was that made him paint it.
Yes, I wonder too. It could be something quite remote. It was interesting to hear him talk in the video about how the tea ceremony was an early inspiration for him.
Part B:
I thought that it was interesting that James Rosenquist used fragments of advertisements — it’s similar to what Andy Warhol did, except that Warhol would paint a big image of an everyday object, not just parts of it. I also thought it was cool that he used his own photographs and magazines as inspiration for his paintings.
I’m glad you are making these connections between the Pop artists and also noticing their distinctions. And, using his own photographs was a good way to avoid plagiarism and lawsuits!
Part B:
I think Rosenquist’s goal with merging seemingly unrelated images together in a visually appealing way was to bring greater meaning to his work. He was also able to express what he couldn’t put into words with his blend of odd objects and ideas. Just painting one image does have an impact, but by combining multiple powerful images, he was able to create extremely interpretive and interesting pieces of art.
You have great insights, Tati, into the way meaning and interpretation work in art!
Part B:
I love how he makes seemingly random things come together and make a picture, like in Vestigial Appendage, withe the hands and the soda cap. It’s amazing that he once painted signs.
You are right – that sign painting was a great training ground for him.
Part B:
I think that Rosenquist’s objective by combining objects in his art was to show that even apparently random objects can be related in some way. He chose items that complimented each other and sent a message to the viewer.
Isn’t is a good way to get his audience thinking and making relationships…..he wouldn’t go to all that trouble to make big beautiful paintings of completely random objects, would he?
Part A:
1. I think pop art is very relevant to contemporary life, because it involves things, products, and people we see on a daily basis, and gives us a new way to look at them. For example, we can see a soup can as art, not just something to throw in the trash.
2. Pop art can convey a political meaning if the artist frames it in that way (like Rosenquist did with Vietnam, and Haring with AIDS), but it can also be left up to the viewer to interpret the meaning.
3. Pop art was bigger in the fifties, but that doesn’t mean it’s irrelevant today. Because pop culture will always exist, pop art can’t disappear.
Part B.
One of the great things about Rosenquist is that you can’t just walk past his work. It’s so big and striking that you have to stop and look at it, and the more you look the more you get out of it. I think that his way of combining seemingly unrelated objects to create a message is very interesting. It almost seems abstract, but you can see certain images enough that it’s not visual overload.
Great observations about the context and impact of his work. SFMOMA has a nice Rosenquist next time you get up to SF.
Part B:
I think the combination of various elements in Welcome to the Water Planet worked well. In a few of the other ones, the ideas didn’t go together pretty well. In Welcome to the Water Planet, the parts of the image had a good amount of similarity/relevance to each other. The other images had parts that were too un-similar. That might otherwise work well, but in those particular images it didn’t.
I think you make a very good observation in contrasting the works. That is why some of his works often led to series along the same lines. Some connections are more stimulating than others.
I think the visual effect by merging photos is actually really exciting to look at when there seems to be an overarching theme. It’s like in the interview when Rosenquist said that you can’t just put a whole bunch of things together; it doesn’t work like that, but the many layers of all the images should be meaningful. And, I think that Rosenquist really achieved that in all the examples of I seen of his work.
Nice point about his artistic intentionality. He wouldn’t go to all that trouble for things that are completely random.
I think the visual effect of putting so many elements together in each painting is similar to how our minds work. That is why its exciting and interesting to look at. We don’t just see one thing on its own in our mind, rather a mash of difference things that come together to create an image or relate. We see things that together create an image that means something, but alone it may be meaningless.
This is such a great point to notice the correlation between how these painting “read” and how the mind works!
I think the visual effect of putting different images together is fun to look at and think about. Overlapping all the images gives it a bigger effect on people and makes it fun to figure out what the artist is trying to say.
A.
1. Pop Art can sometimes go in depth and apply new ideas or significance into things or ideas that would typically be overlooked in day to day life.
2. Without directly stating any political leaning or idea in a piece of art, pop artists can subtly imply a certain meaning or meanings through the association between the objects. In this way artists can generate a reaction almost subconsciously. Kinds tricksy
3. i mean… i guess the main phase of it is dead but the general idea is still used in advertisements. The image association deal. As far as I know Pop art is dead politically… no more propaganda…
I especially like your point about the way artists address the subconscious. Sometimes they don’t even recognize some of the ideas suggested in their own work until they finish the work!
Part 1:
1. I believe that part of the relevance pop art has to contemporary life is that it allows us to examine events or views from a different perspective than we are used to.
2. Pop art can convey political meaning through nuanced statements and vagueness, As opposed to be being up front with all of its political messages, pop art forces us to examine it and come to our own conclusions, which often gives us a more concrete understanding.
3. I think pop art is still relevant because certain ideas from it are still constantly being used and changed.
Part 2:
I think the overlapping segments and different cut out shapes really draw the viewer in.For example, when looking at Welcome to the Water Planet, I find myself drawn to the section with the eyes because of the way it was cut out, and i found myself looking at it more closely than other sections of the painting