Pop Art ~ Now and Then at the Wolverhampton Art Gallery
Wolverhampton, UK - Exploring the relationships and connections between the Pop Art of the 1960s and contemporary art today. The third Pop Art exhibition at Wolverhampton Art Gallery features outstanding contemporary artists like David Mach, Takashi Murakami and Gavin Turk amongst familiar Pop Artists, Roy Lichenstein, Patrick Caulfield, Andy Warhol and many more.
The range and scale of art work on show makes this one of the best Pop themed exhibition at Wolverhampton yet. On view through 30 August, 2008
Early examples of Pop Art include the big and bold ‘Purist Painting with Bottles’, by Lichenstein, said to be one of his own favourite works, and the imposing ‘Tandoori Restaurant’ by Patrick Caulfield, both from Wolverhampton’s very own collection.
Contemporary artists provide a fine sample of painting and sculpture including the painting of a fantasy interior, ‘Jackie Onassis’ by Dexter Dalwood; and intricate prints of objects that have changed sizes, wine glasses which appear as big as a filing cabinets in the series ‘History’ by Michael Craig Martin.
David Mach’s work plays with early Pop Art ideas but brings them into contemporary context using complex processes and imagery of pop icon Elvis Presley. The portrait ‘All the Kings Men’, is created by manipulating hundreds of mass produced postcards of the guards at Buckingham palace, poking fun at their mindless reproduction, and encouraging visitor to look again at the surface of the artwork.
Japanese artist Takashi Murakami brings a new twist to Warhol’s original way of working by employing assistants and to produce the work in a modern day ‘factory’, but uses contemporary popular culture themes of manga and animee. The exhibition is complemented with lots of extra information, interactive computer stations relating to the art and even hands-on activities like dressing-up.
Visit Wolverhampton Art Gallery at : www.wolverhamptonart.org.uk