Richard Hamilton's 'And Jasper Johns' Flag

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Art is an artefact of the time or place as it is able to tell us about the people and the events that influenced the artists. These influences can be social, economic and cultural which is evident in two works of art from the period of post-WWII boom. These works are Richard Hamilton’s ‘Just what is it that makes today's homes so different, so appealing?’ and Jasper Johns’ ‘Flag’.
Pop art emerged in the 1950’s and was a representation of the newly found identity of the nation. During this time there was a period of optimism and this allowed artists to engage with their social surroundings, to create art which reflected popular culture of the time. Pop art was able to show consumer products, brands, food, celebrities, comics, advertising and …show more content…

During this time more materials became available as there was a consumer boom this allowed many people to create art. As the line between high and low-end art had become indistinct so it allowed a new generation of art to shine. During the pop art movement, everything became art and this helped artist think of a medium or subject of the work. Andy Warhol said ‘Everything is art’ and this can be seen in both Richard Hamilton’s ‘Just what is it that makes today's homes so different, so appealing?’ and Jasper Johns’ ‘Flag’. The two artworks both use of everyday object and can be seen through Richard Hamilton’s ‘Just what is it that makes today's homes so different, so appealing?’ as he has used extracts from American magazines. The cheap cost of magazines is an integral factor and influence of the pop art movement. During the Pop art movement, more products became readily available which opened open a door for more people to involve themselves in art and create high-end artworks. Jasper Johns’ ‘Flag’ also shows a new factor which emerged with pop art this was that anything can be a subject of art. During the art movements before Pop Art, it was considered low-end art if you painted an every day or household item, so pop art broke the barriers. Also as a part of the post-WWII boom materials became better quality so this influenced artist to paint or create more often as seen in Jasper Jones ‘Flag’. Therefore the economically the advancements of the art society changed and challenged previous ideas or rules as the use of everyday items created a cheaper and easier option for

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