Pop Art on Display @Smithsonian

Bold and brash, the new form of art dubbed pop art that exploded onto the art scene in the turbulent 1960s used images lifted directly from advertising, news reports, and highway signs.

Although initially dismissed, pop art proved to demonstrate sly commentary on consumerism, a fascination with glamour, and the superficiality of contemporary American mass culture.

And, of course, it challenged the then-prevailing assumptions about what should be.

Currently, Pop Art Prints is the subject of an exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, a show which will run until Aug. 31.

Of course, the 4 best-known practitioners of pop art - Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein, and Andy Warhol, are represented in the exhibition, which draws on works from the museums extensive collection.

But there are several works by lesser-known artists that are important to check out including:

• Tobacco Rose (1965) by Mel Ramos

• Untitled (1966) by Jim Dine

• Love (1967) by Robert Indiana

A Prices Do DC Extra

Here are 2 more posts about the Pop Art Prints exhibit:

1. "Pop Art Prints: A Closer Look at James Rosenquist" (from Eye Level)
2. "Pop Art Prints proves that Pop artists weren't shallow" (from The Express)