Pop Art and My Art

For some time now I have been grappling with what 1960s pop art means to me today  in my own art. In the 60s it had something to do with commercialism and executing using the mechanical and not caring. It also had a great deal to do with liking things as Andy Warhol said.  Not only did Andy  like things, he liked things prolifically.   In time, he really didn't care whether he executed his own art  or not.   Would seem to matter to him the most was that it got made.

 

In getting things made it often meant that another person executed his ideas. It might be somebody in his "Factory" who would take a Polaroid photo of the subject like these flowers and then bring in another person to silkscreen them  into something tangible and in this case, iconic. The same could be said for Campbell Soup cans or Marilyn Monroe. Somebody else took that publicity photograph of Marilyn Monroe but as we move forward these images become disseminated in such a way that authorship becomes blurred.   Wondering, does he think that how to be an artist is to simply make something called art, askdoes look terrible? Say to oneself… Who cares… Question whether  I'm an artist or not… Say "yes"… Then make some more art.

 

With  'Block #7 Warhole  Flowers'   I ask those same questions. At some point I found that I make art by making art. I think for some people are reintroduced in our lives entirely caught up in technique and what they should and shouldn't do according to what they may recall an art teacher telling them at some point in their lives or comparing their attempts with art that they have seen. I think what Andy Warhol taught the world that you can make real art, indeed iconic art within idea and a path to execution. But more importantly and for me this is paramount the execution of my art requires absolutely no anxiety on my part. There is no angst no sighing, fretting or thought that something needs to be right other than… Moving to some level of harmony by choice making. I've come to the conclusion that being an artist is simply the sum of making choices. The quality of those choices are entirely subjective.  Pop art seems for me to be the closest art movement to what I'm doing now but the imagery is quite different in most cases.   The similarities revolve around the execution  and taking a hands-off approach.