View all courses

Pop Art

Pop goes the easel.

  • Course Length: 3 weeks
  • Course Type: Short Course
  • Category:
    • Humanities
    • High School

Schools and Districts: We offer customized programs that won't break the bank. Get a quote.

Get a Quote

Ever looked at a piece of contemporary art and gone "I miss when Pablo Picasso was still alive and I didn't have to think so hard about what I was looking at"?

Or "I'm not sure why this counts as art…it's literally a trash can. From Ikea"?

Or "Oh man, that's the exhibit? I thought that was a chair"?

Contemporary art does this thing where it constantly and unrelentingly challenges our perception of art, artist, and audience. It's a trend that started in the 20th century with modern art—and especially Pop art. And many critics and art-enthusiasts back then felt like many people do now: that art had lost its dignity, its beauty, and heck, its mind, and could we just go back the good days where Greek columns and stately royal portraits were still the "in" thing?

Art critics and modern-day viewers admittedly need a little time and patience to learn to appreciate what Pop art gets at with its garish colors, its copious references to consumer culture, and its giant burlap hamburger sculptures (we're not joking). How it throws off expectations for the subject and content of art, how it blurs the lines between "high" art and "low" culture, how it plays with new techniques and media—and how, ultimately, it holds up a mirror to the audience itself, and asks us what we think makes art, art.

Lucky for you, you have something that the art-appreciators of old didn't have—decades of hindsight. Oh, and this handy dandy course. In this three-week crash-course on Pop art, we'll

  • explore how war, consumerism, and pop culture contributed to the rise of Pop art. 
  • discuss the key shifts that took place in the art world, through close examination of the work and philosophy of such Pop art greats as Warhol, Lichtenstein, and Oldenburg.
  • consider how Pop art exploded the modern concept of "art"—and consider how it explodes our concept of art.

Who knows? You might even come away with a genuine affection for Pop art. Or, at least, a hankering for hamburgers.

Unit Breakdown

1 Pop Art - Pop Art

In this three-week course on Pop art, we'll rub shoulders with some modern art greats, and learn to make convincing "hmm" noises while observing their most influential pieces. We'll explore what these artists had to say about pop culture, consumerism, gender, and the intersection between art and moolah.


Sample Lesson - Introduction

Lesson 1.09: It's All About the Concept

A couple of boxes full of Brillo pads
Actual Brillo pads: still not as abrasive as the public's reaction to Warhol's Brillo Boxes installation.
(Source)

Of all of Andy Warhol's works, perhaps the one that stirs up the most controversy is his Brillo Boxes installation from 1964. A lot of people's main issue was with the work's originality. Unlike Lichtenstein, who at least slightly altered his appropriations, Warhol copied the commercial design for the packaging exactly as it appeared on the boxes.

So why didn't the public take such a harsh view against, say, his Campbell's Soup Cans? It could be because the soup cans were silkscreened onto canvases (32 individual canvases, to be precise) and hung up on a wall, just like "normal" artwork is displayed.

The Brillo Boxes, on the other hand, were quite different. Using that same silkscreen process, Warhol printed the designs for the boxes (that were the same size and same shape as the cardboard ones found in stores) onto plywood boxes, and stacked them in a corner of the gallery floor—totally unlike how traditional art had been displayed. Where did Warhol think this was, the back room of a Walmart?

But here's the thing—Warhol's Brillo Boxes might not have looked out of place in a supermarket warehouse, but many art critics—like Arthur Danto—argued for its value from both an aesthetic and a conceptual standpoint.

We know what you're thinking: that's a lot of five-dollar words to describe a fake box of Brillo pads. How are we supposed to wash our dishes with "conceptual art"? We'll let Danto take it away.

Sample Lesson - Reading

Reading 1.1.09: Scrub-a-Dub-Dub

Before we can get deeper into the criticisms surrounding Warhol's take on a supermarket great—and the arguments in favor of its value to the art world—we need to brush up our knowledge of the actual artwork. Check out the following resources that talk about Brillo Boxes, and take a close look at the images of the piece:

As you read, consider the following questions:

  • What do you think makes Brillo Boxes a work of art? How is it different from actual Brillo pad boxes?
  • What do you think the value of this installation is? Why do some people find it intriguing?
  • Why do you think some people find the work frustrating?

Sample Lesson - Activity

Activity 1.09a: Philosophy in a Box

What did Warhol's Brillo Boxes achieve that a stack of actual Brillo boxes couldn't have? What's the difference between the two, beyond the fact that the former can't help you get your dishes clean (which, many would argue, is a failing)? Is Brillo Boxes worthwhile as an artwork because of how it looks, or how it makes us think—or both?

These are all questions at the center of the debate over Warhol's take on the humble Brillo. Some people don't know what the fuss is. Others are actively opposed to this piece by Warhol. Yet many have argued in its favor. Check out what Arthur Danto had to say about Brillo Boxes.

Then answer the following questions in one to two sentences each.

  1. Why did Danto argue that Brillo Boxes challenged people to rethink the nature of art?

  2. Why did Danto argue that Brillo Boxes challenges people to rethink the nature of beauty?

  3. What differences are there (physical, aesthetic, or otherwise) between Warhol's Brillo Boxes and actual Brillo boxes?

  4. Would you argue that Warhol's Brillo Boxes are commercial products, too, just like regular Brillo boxes?

  5. What Danto terms "the end of art" sounds pretty ominous, but what does it actually mean?

  6. Ultimately, why do you think Danto believes that there is value in Brillo Boxes? Do you agree? Why or why not?

Expository Writing Rubric - 20 Points

OutstandingProficientDevelopingNeeds Improvement
Evidence / Support

All support is clearly and logically connected to the topic. Examples, evidence, and details are thorough and relevant with effective explanation.

(8)

All support about the main topic is relevant. Examples, evidence, and details are explained.

(7)

Most support is related to the topic. Examples, evidence, or details are given.

(6)

Insufficient examples, evidence, or details. Support may be irrelevant.

(5)
Content Understanding

All content is accurate and analysis is interesting and sophisticated.

(8)

All content is accurate.

(7)

May contain minor errors.

(6)

Major errors.

(5)
Style

Language is clear and interesting. Enhances presentation of information. No errors.

(4)

Language is clear and appropriate to topic. Minor spelling or grammatical errors.

(3)

Language is occasionally unclear, but meaning is generally understandable. Frequent spelling/grammar errors that do not impede comprehension.

(3)

Language use makes writing very difficult to understand. Frequent spelling or grammar errors that impede comprehension.

(3)

Sample Lesson - Activity

Activity 1.09b: Learning to Listen

If you've ever gone to an art museum and felt exceedingly frustrated by the contemporary artworks on exhibit, you probably can sympathize with some of the critics contending with Warhol's work back in the 60s (heck, you might still feel the same way about Warhol's work today).

A lot of contemporary (read: modern day) artists have continued pushing the boundaries of what "art" is, and although many people in the art world are better prepared to meet these new artworks on their own terms, that doesn't mean contemporary art isn't still challenging. It can be hard to relate to a piece of art that isn't immediately aesthetically appealing, and which doesn't conform to traditional forms like portraiture and figural sculpture, or which just doesn't give up the goods (themes, commentary, etc.) that easily.

All is not lost, though. Even the most obscure artwork can become easier to parse if you know how to listen. With that in mind, check out this TEDx Talk by arts writer, curator, and educator Jane Deeth, titled "What's Wrong with Contemporary Art?"

After you're done watching, answer the following questions in three or more sentences each.

  1. What are some of the major criticisms launched by those who dislike contemporary art? How does Deeth respond to these criticisms, and what does she suggest is the best way to approach contemporary art? Ultimately, why does she think contemporary art has value?

  2. At the very beginning of the video, Deeth references several contemporary artworks that are among today's most controversial, and that have received the most caustic responses from audiences. Some of them you might find ugly, disturbing, or even offensive.

    Check out some the actual versions of these artworks below (note: these aren't necessarily their actual names):

    • Tattooed Pig
    • Shark in formaldehyde
    • Pile of sweets
    • Diamond-encrusted skull
    • Artist's poop

    Pick one that you'd like to write about—either because you really like it or because you really dislike it—and conduct some research about it. Don't tell us what you think about it. Just give us the title of the piece you've chosen, the artist's name, and a brief description of it. You can even start guessing at what it might mean.

    For instance, we might begin:

    Damien Hirst's For the Love of God consists of a cast of an actual skull from the 18th century, which has then been encrusted with diamonds. It draws your eye to the especially large diamond at the center of the forehead. Though the piece brings to mind mortality, the shimmery appeal of its exterior suggests a positive outlook…

Expository Writing Rubric - 25 Points

OutstandingProficientDevelopingNeeds Improvement
Evidence / Support

All support is clearly and logically connected to the topic. Examples, evidence, and details are thorough and relevant with effective explanation.

(10)

All support about the main topic is relevant. Examples, evidence, and details are explained.

(9)

Most support is related to the topic. Examples, evidence, or details are given.

(8)

Insufficient examples, evidence, or details. Support may be irrelevant.

(7)
Content Understanding

All content is accurate and analysis is interesting and sophisticated.

(10)

All content is accurate.

(9)

May contain minor errors.

(8)

Major errors.

(7)
Style

Language is clear and interesting. Enhances presentation of information. No errors.

(5)

Language is clear and appropriate to topic. Minor spelling or grammatical errors.

(4)

Language is occasionally unclear, but meaning is generally understandable. Frequent spelling/grammar errors that do not impede comprehension.

(4)

Language use makes writing very difficult to understand. Frequent spelling or grammar errors that impede comprehension.

(3)