However, rather than to minimize the importance of the objects, the work of these artists asked their viewers to marvel at the complexity of the objects themselves. The viewer takes these objects for granted everyday, not considering them the true art form that they represent.
Defining the Pop Art Movement
Pop art is the art of the common person, yet seldom does it appeal to the common person. Pop culture stands outside of the ordinary and views the everyday with a sense of wonder and amazement that few in the everyday world see. Both Warhol and Duchamp saw the artificial nature of the world around us. Warhol and Duchamp bring life to the mundane. However, Warhol saw his art as a commodity, as much as the objects in the paintings. Duchamp focused on his own self-expression as the sole reason for the creative act.
Duchamp's art was more conceptual than Warhol's. Duchamp considered the spectator of a piece to be a participant in the piece, rather than simply a mere observer. The same can be said of Warhol's work, in that the audience had an obligation to react to it. Both artists saw the absurdity in the world created by modern technology and both wished to express this absurdity and bring it to the forefront of public thought. They expected the audience to question themselves and the ideals that their society stood for.
It would be difficult to view Warhol's work and not see the influence of Duchamp. The work of Duchamp set the stage for pop artists such...
In the beginning, Duchamp's work was rejected by the public and by art critics alike. They failed to see the artistry in a urinal, or a snow shovel. They felt that Duchamp's work had no purpose in the art world. By the time Warhol's Brillo boxes hit the galleries, the art scene was accustomed to the unusual. Duchamp paved the way for others to follow.
Works Cited
Ross, a. In 'Uses of Camp' No Respect: Intellectuals and Popular Culture. (New York: Routledge, 1989), p. 152.
Tompkins, C. Duchamp: A Biography (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1996), p. 415.
Warhol, a. The Philosophy of Andy Warhol - From a to B. And Back Again (New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1975), pp. 133-134.
Flatley, J. 'Warhol Gives Good Face: Publicity and the Politics of Prosopopeia.' POPOUT: Queer Warhol, Jennifer Doyle, et al. (eds.) (Durham: Duke University Press, 1996), p. 109.
Andrew Ross. In 'Uses of Camp' No Respect: Intellectuals and Popular Culture. (New York: Routledge, 1989), 152.
Calvin Tomkins, Duchamp: A Biography (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1996), 415.
Andy Warhol, the Philosophy of Andy Warhol - From a to B. And Back Again (New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1975), 133-134.
Jonathon Flatley, 'Warhol Gives Good Face: Publicity and the Politics of Prosopopeia.' POPOUT: Queer Warhol, Jennifer Doyle, et al. (eds.) (Durham: Duke University Press, 1996), 109.
