What is Modern Art?

What is Contemporary Art?
Contemporary Art just means art that has been and continues to be created during our lifetime, or more presisely from the 1960’s or 70’s up to now.

What is Modern Art?
Modern Art dates from the Impressionists (around 1880) up to the 1960’s or 70’s.

What is Postmodern Art
The term Postmodern Art and “Postmodernism” popped up around 1970 when the art establishment chose to move on from ‘conventional’ art ie figurative paintings on canvas. Postmodern art is a term used to describe art which is thought to be a contradiction to Modernism. Movements such as, Installation art, Performance art, Conceptual Art and Video Art are all described as postmodern.

What is Pop Art?
Pop Art was born in Britain in the mid 1950s. The idea of Pop Art arose during discussions between members of the Independent Group of artists (IG) around 1952-53.

Pop Art is about popular culture ie materialism, consumer goods, advertisements and mass communication (film, television, newspapers and magazines), Pop Art thus held up a mirror to contemporary society. Bold flat colours, imagery influenced by comic books, images of celebrities are all characteristic of Pop Art. The movement was driven by the energy and optimism of young artists growing up during the Post-World War II period. The term Pop Art was first coined by Lawrence Alloway in his article “The Arts and Mass Media,” Architectural Record (February 1958); Richard Hamilton’s Just What Is It that Makes Today’s Home So Different and So Appealing? (1956) is generally considered to be the first major Pop Art picture.

Andy Warhol was perhaps the major Pop Artist. It was his insightful observations about the allure of shopping and celebrity that have proved so enduring and influential, and still resonates with artists and art lovers more than 40 years on.
Pop Art is said to have been the last important movement of the Modernist period – it finally lost it’s appeal in the early 1970s once the Postmodernist generation decided that ‘popular art’ was no longer serious enough.

Important Pop Artists are Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Richard Hamilton, Edouardo Paolozzi, Peter Blake, R. B. Kitaj, David Hockney and Allen Jones.

David Storey September 2011

POP ART in the news

Art collector cashes in on Elizabeth Taylor’s death by putting portrait by Andy Warhol up for auction
By SIMON NEVILLE

Elizabeth Taylor by Andy Warhol

With the mourners from Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor’s funeral having barely left the memorial service, one wily art collector is planning to cash in on the superstar’s death.
That because a wealthy individual – who has unsurprisingly remained anonymous – is planning to sell a portrait of the actress by Andy Warhol.
Liz #5, which was painted by the artist in 1963, is expected to fetch as much as $30million when it goes under the hammer in New York on May 12, auctioneers Phillips de Pury said.

A spokeswoman for London-based auctioneers Phillips tried to play down the connection between the artwork going on sale and Taylor’s death on Wednesday aged 79.

Giulia Costantini told the Los Angeles Times: ‘The events are not connected’.
She added the owner handed the painting over the auction two weeks ago, and that the announcement on the same day as the funeral us not an attempt to exploit it.
‘At this point we always make announcements of highlights of our [spring] sales.’

The auction house describes the painting as ‘a dazzling tribute to Elizabeth Taylor’
Michael McGinnis, head of contemporary art at Phillips de Pury added: ‘It is Warhol at his very best with a perfect screen, glowing colours, and impeccable provenance.
‘She is classic yet every bit as cutting edge as she was when Warhol painted her nearly 50 years ago.’
The catalogue description says the portrait: ‘embodies the most important themes of Warhol’s oeuvre including celebrity, wealth, scandal, sex, death and Hollywood.

‘The epitome of old-world Hollywood style and glamour, Liz Taylor was one of Warhol’s most famous inspirations alongside Marilyn Monroe and Jackie Kennedy.’ ‘Liz #5’ had belonged to Ileana Sonnabend, a prominent New York art dealer, until her death in October 2007. The mysterious seller bought it from her estate shortly afterwards.

Sonnabend represented contemporary artists including Warhol, Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg
The most ever paid for a Warhol work of art was $71.7million for his 1963 ‘Green car crash – Green burning car I’ in 2007.

Contemporary Pop Art style portraits from
www.personalisedpopart.co.uk

David Storey at Woburn ArtBeat Festival

Check out the annual ArtBeat Festival in Woburn. David Storey – our creative director – is having a show of his prints and paintings at the Black Horse (1 Bedford Street, Woburn MK17 9QB. Telephone: 01525 290210).
Woburn ARTBEAT is an annual project where the village of Woburn is turned into an art gallery with a sculpture exhibition in the 36 acre garden at Woburn Abbey. This year the event in the village will run from the 15th April 2011 until the 2nd May 2011. The sculpture exhibition in the gardens of Woburn Abbey will remain until the 31st July 2011. This is a non profit event, with proceeds donated to charity. The longer term intention is to create a fund, where Woburn as a whole will sponsor one artist a year to study or develop a specific skill.

http://www.woburnartbeat.co.uk/
http://www.bedfordstreetgallery.com

Personalised Valentine’s Gifts

bespoke artwork on stretched canvas

Valentine’s Gifts
Give a personalised Valentine’s Day Present – as special as the one you love.

If you want to make a memorable gesture of love with your Valentines Gift, forget roses and chocolates, think creative and say it with pictures – as the saying goes – a picture paints a thousand words. A Personalised Pop Art artwork truly is a beautiful way to show your Valentine what’s in your heart – a one-off creation in the form of a Personalised Valentine’s Day Present – a true token of love!

Love the idea but can’t decide which photo to use? No problem, simply give one of our gift voucher instead!

For details please visit us at:

www.personalisedpopart.co.uk

Personalised Pop Art and Oxfam

Logo by Personalised Pop Art

For the 3rd year running PPA’s creative director – David Storey – has been invited by Oxjam to create the symbol and graphics to promote their annual music festival in Leighton Linslade.

Oxjam is Oxfam’s music festival with a difference. Each year hundreds of music-lovers get involved, all across the UK, to raise money for Oxfam by holding their own events. Proceeds go to tackling poverty all over the world – helping people to earn a living; get an education; gain better access to health care and fresh water; and to grow more food.
The festival itself will showcase a rich mix of musical styles, from rock and Indie bands, through folk, brass and concert bands to choirs and classica.
This year’s highlight is likely to be the Oxjam Jazz Club featuring six of the country’s top jazz musicians, including Claire Martin the International award-winning jazz vocalist.
For further information about Oxjam and these, and other, events please visit: http://www.oxfam.org.uk/oxjam
To commission your own contemporary artwork from Personalised Pop Art please visit us at: www.personalisedpopart.co.uk