Beate Karlsson
Integrative seminar
Instructor: Andrea Bell
The rise of Plastics
Beate Karlsson
Integrative seminar
Instructor: Andrea Bell
Dreamy, colorful, “unicorn-heaven” art and fashion is something that has
become more and more common. The imaginative Barbie-like fashion, the
Japanese, Tokyo art and toy-like culture has grown into own genres in the
arts. But where does this playful form of art come from? It certainly was not
present in the 1920s. No, this modern shape has its seed in the pop art rising
in the 1960s, but why did it cultivate? When researching this, the fifties is
key for the exposure of artificial, surrealistic pop culture developing in the
60s.
The 1950s is often portrayed as a time of freedom, success and
happiness for economics, family life and society. America had the strongest
military power during this time. The blooming economy was a result of new
technology, demand for new cars and other consumer goods as well as the
need to rebuild after World War ll. Middle class people had more money than
ever before. A significant part of growth came from government spending.
This included the construction of interstate highways and schools, as well as
an escalation in military spending.1 There was a stream of new innovations
such as airplanes and new technologies built around electronics. All of this
contributed to the decade’s economic growth. Rates of unemployment and
inflation were low and wage growth was high. And since the diversity and
1
Halberstam, Mr. The Fifties. 10.
Beate Karlsson
Integrative seminar
Instructor: Andrea Bell
availability of consumer goods increased along with the economy, there were
also more things to buy than before.2
Nonetheless, the fifties was also a decade of major conflicts, where the
growing civil rights movement and campaign against communism both
nationally and globally exposed the fundamental breaks in American society.
Growth of nuclear weapons, the Cuba crisis and political division of Europe
were signs that the world had become more dangerous. This polarity was
going to affect society in different aspects, with the art world as an
interesting area. Hence, the fifties is indeed a fascinating time where a
distinct controversy was at its peak – naturally this was to be integrated into
the arts.3 Pop art, the major inventive art in the 1960s was an effect of these
conditions. The synthetic spirit of “the new America”, that thoroughly tried to
forget the fact that a heavy period of war had just ended, was going to affect
the upcoming art, with the 60s pop-art as its most essential development.
When looking at American posters and advertisements during the 50s
it is easy to gain an input of how life was portrayed as “perfect”. An example
is the film poster for the King Kong movie where the Gorilla is portrayed in a
huge perspective.4 One can build a surrealist world only from observing the
posters, including simulated artifacts such as a woman digging in to an
2
Marsden, The Twilight of the American Enlightenment: The 1950s and the
Crisis of Liberal Belief.
3
Stolley, The American Dream – The Fifties, 35.
4
Fig 1.
Beate Karlsson
Integrative seminar
Instructor: Andrea Bell
extremely sized chocolate bar. And with quotes such as “You can sleep when
you’re dead!” and “Danger! Curves Ahead! Blacktop Bombshell!” Society was
a happy environment with a colorful feminine fashion. After World War ll
ended, Americans were keen to have children, buoyed by prospects of wealth
and piece. This idea of more liberty and fortune was in many ways true.
Between the years of 1945 and 1960, the gross national produce had doubled.
These ideas are visible in the upcoming century’s pop art.5
Thus, there is a lot of essential elements in pop art during the 60s
having its real origins in the fifties special living conditions in America. This
time of true success next to great conflicts can in many ways be connected to
the artificial form of surrealistic art, fashion and living, developing in the
upcoming period. Both the synthetic style along with use of for example 50sposters in a number of different collages was present. The time is filled with
robust color and when looking at most pop art from the 60s one receives a
happy and positive feeling. However, these colorful sweets often had a bitter
aftertaste. Andy Warhol’s is a fascinating and key artist when speaking of
this. His work may seem happy and playful because of the bright robust
colors, but frequently has an artificial tone to it and an undercurrent of
deeper and gloomier meaning.6
5
Stolley, Richard B., Mr. The American Dream – The Fifties. Time-Life
Books, 1999.
6
The Washington Times. "The Dark Side of Andy Warhol."
Beate Karlsson
Integrative seminar
Instructor: Andrea Bell
Andy Warhol has labeled the 60s with innovative, outrageous and
vibrant collages, prints and photography. Many people interpret him as being
just that; a playful, happy and crazy artist, but truly he had a lot of issues
when digging under the surface of his work. Much as the conditions of the 50s
he succeeded in developing this original super controversial style where huge
juvenile, colorful and dreamy foundations covered up wounds and darkness.
For example, there are interpretations of his death and disaster series along
with his Marilyn Monroe prints as being expressions of his sorrow at public
events.(source). In his death and disaster series, Warhol studies how cut out
images from journalistic can work in his art. In the series he frequently uses
images from horrific scenes where for example nuclear explosion, car crashes
and riots are presented. Thus, he creates these truly horrifying artworks
using robust colors with a sort of simplistic repetitive collage technique.
Naturally, this is a opposing approach.7
Another artist that frequently used elements from the 50s in his art is
Richard Hamilton. Similarly, it is easy to look at his pop-art as free, positive
and happy, yet even Hamilton had major political intentions with his work.
He uses common and popular symbols and images to investigate an “interior
realm”. He argue that this is suppose to work as an observation and comment
on the speedy and essential transformation of everyday presence. Further, he
7
Osterweil, In Andy Warhol Screen Tests: The Films of Andy Warhol, chapter
10
Beate Karlsson
Integrative seminar
Instructor: Andrea Bell
explores essential political facts – “Aside from the financially related
historical subject matter, Hamilton also identifies the specter of Communism
as the planet that doubles as the household’s ceiling.” Hence, even though
Hamilton’s playful collages may seem superficial, they do have a deeper
meaning to it. For example, in one of his most famous collages, he uses cutouts from fifties poster, a huge lollipop and what looks like a Barbie doll
figure. 8 9 The lighthearted, crazy collage essentially reflects political ideas
regarding living spaces and the communities that live within them.
Another vital and fascinating part of the fifties was the invention of
the Barbie. Barbie was invented in the end of the fifties and it was indeed a
product born out of the weird and artificial society of the time. Beginning as a
simple creation of a mother to a girl who enjoyed playing with dolls it has
developed into being one of the most specific aftereffects of the time. The doll
was created through these surrealistic living conditions in America and
included the colorful, excessive or artificial elements of the time.10
A reason for why many features of the 50s have been used in the
60s pop art is because of the provocative impression it has. There is truly
something thrilling yet frightening about covering something dark and
offensive with something embellished and cheerful. However, this is also the
8
Fig 2.
9
Doris, Sara. "Pop Art and the Contest over American Culture."
10
McDonough, Yona Zeldis, Mrs. "Barbie." The New York Times.
Beate Karlsson
Integrative seminar
Instructor: Andrea Bell
reason for why a lot of pop art, not least Warhol, has been misunderstood. It
certainly is easy to believe that the approachable collages and prints have a
joyful meaning.
In conclusion, the American 50s was in many ways an explosion of
positivity. The US had grown into the world’s strongest military power and
society in general was progressing rapidly with an economy that led to new
prosperity and plentiful of consumer goods. More people than ever before
could afford cars, houses and etc. Historians tend to describe the time as
booming – “the booming economy, the booming suburbs and most of all the
so-called “baby boom.”
11
Nevertheless, alongside with this optimistic
atmosphere it was indeed a time of great conflict where the promising civil
rights association and the movement against communism, both nationally
and internationally, exposed the fundamental breaks in American society.
This controversial and superficial time was the starting point and motivation
for the pop art emerging in the 60s. This link is key since it is the major
outbreak of surrealist art, where robust colors are mixed with great
seriousness, which is visible in for example 80s and 90s fashion. Thus, it is
central since it has, over time, developed a new style within the arts.
11
Boritt, Gabor S., Mrs. Lincoln and the Economies of the American Dream,
17.
Beate Karlsson
Integrative seminar
Instructor: Andrea Bell
Bibliography
1. Halberstam, David, Mr. The Fifties. Random House Publishing Group,
1994.
2. Marsden, George M. The Twilight of the American Enlightenment: The
1950s and the Crisis of Liberal Belief. Blackstone Audio, 2014.
3. Stolley, Richard B., Mr. The American Dream – The Fifties. Time-Life
Books, 1999.
4.
5. The Washington Times. "The Dark Side of Andy Warhol." Washington
Times.
September
30,
2005.
Accessed
April
05,
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2005/sep/30/20050930-0935486102r/?page=all.
2015.
Beate Karlsson
Integrative seminar
Instructor: Andrea Bell
6. Osterweil, Ara, Mrs. "Chapter 10." In Andy Warhol Screen Tests: The Films
of Andy Warhol, Catalogue Raisonné, Volume One, 100-03. 1st ed. Vol. 7. The
Moving Image. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 2007.
7.
8. Doris, Sara. "Pop Art and the Contest over American Culture." In Pop Art
and the Contest over American Culture. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 2007.
9. McDonough, Yona Zeldis, Mrs. "Barbie." The New York Times, March 12,
2015. Accessed March 29, 2015.
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/b/barbie_doll/inde
x.html.
10. Boritt, Gabor S., Mrs. Lincoln and the Economies of the American Dream.
University of Illinois, 1994.