Pop Art - Admission/Application Essay Example

It is safe to say that without the collage, pop art would not have been born or, at least, would not have taken the developmental trajectory that we know of today. It would not have affected the works of succeeding pop artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Claes Oldenburg. If pop art was bound to emerge as postmodernism is already here, it would have emerged late without Hamilton's work. It is difficult to determine why Hamilton faded in Warhol’s shadow. But some historians point out that this could be attributed to the fact that it was not exhibited as a work of art when it was displayed in 1956 for the exhibition This is Tomorrow (Massey, 117). But this technicality should not diminish his standing as a mover in the pop art movement. The fact is that no one can challenge that the college is the first artwork that truly fits the pop art definition.

"Just What Is It That Makes Today’s Homes So Different, So Appealing?" deserves recognition as one of the critical pop arts for at least three reasons. First, as has been mentioned earlier, this was one of the earliest artistic works that demonstrated the Pop technique. Looking at the college, it is easy to find the influence of Cubism, Dadaism, and Surrealism, which typified the genre pioneered by Hamilton himself in Britain and perhaps the world. Secondly, there is interest in what is happening outside. Using the American context, Hamilton took the images of affluence and set them in a tableau that speaks of fascination. Finally, the college showed a type of excellent composition and artistic expression that is also rife with ambiguous messages, meanings, and concepts. This effectively set it strongly and beautifully against the seeming ordinariness or crassness of the theme.

When pop art is mentioned, we immediately think of Warhol. However, Hamilton should claim that position in the public’s mind if only for the fact that he was the one who started the movement. With "Just What Is It That Makes Today’s Homes So Different, So Appealing?" he has displayed a thoughtful new approach to art, using new themes such as mass culture as the subject. The work of succeeding artists and their respective greatness could partly be attributed to Hamilton’s pioneering work.