3. The British
Independent Group
Embraced “popular culture” --
Rebelled against the elitist values
of the British art establishment
“Movies, science fiction, advertising,
Pop music. We felt none of the dislike of
commercial culture standard among
most intellectuals, but accepted it as
fact, discussed it in detail, and
consumed it enthusiastically.”
Lawrence Alloway
Eduardo Paolozzi, I was a Rich Man’s Plaything, 1947
Tate Gallery
4. The British
Independent Group
While British society continued to
suffer economic scarcity, American
advertising suggested a glamorous
culture of abundance
Nigel Henderson, Shop Front Bethnal Green (London East End), 1949-1953
5. “These collages are mainly made from
magazines given to Paolozzi by American ex-
servicemen. They show his fascination with
popular culture and technology, as well as with
the glamour of American consumerism. The title
of the series refers to Henry Ford''s famous
statement that ''History is more or less bunk....
We want to live in the present''. It reflects
Paolozzi''s belief that his work should respond
to contemporary culture.”
Tate Gallery
Eduardo Paolozzi, Meet the People, 1948
From the Bunk series, Tate Gallery
6. Eduardo Paolozzi, I was a Rich Man’s Plaything, 1947 Eduardo Paolozzi, Evadne in Green Dimension
Tate Gallery (Bunk!), 1952
7. The British
Independent Group
The term “Pop Art” was first coined
by the art critic Lawrence Alloway
“Pop Art, in its original form, was a
polemic against elite views of art in
which uniqueness is a metaphor of
the aristocratic and contemplation
the only proper response to art.”
Lawrence Alloway. “Pop Art: The Words”
Lawrence Alloway, art critic and Independent Group
member
9. The British
Independent Group
The Independent Group
implemented their non-hierarchical
aesthetic of inclusiveness in several
exhibitions
Independent Group, Parallel of Life and Art, ICA, 1953
11. The British
Independent Group
For an exhibition at the
Whitechapel Gallery in 1956,
members of the Independent Group
collaborated on room-size
installations
This is Tomorrow, Whitechapel Gallery, 1956
12. The British
Independent Group
One installation included a 16 foot
“Robbie the Robot” from the film
The Forbidden Planet
This is Tomorrow, Whitechapel Gallery, 1956
14. The British
Independent Group
And amidst all this “kitsch” was a
reproduction of Van Gogh’s
Sunflowers -- the best selling
reproduction from the National
Gallery of Art
This is Tomorrow, Whitechapel Gallery, 1956
15. The British
Independent Group
A jukebox played popular songs
while the spongy floors emitted
strawberry scented air freshener
“In This is Tomorrow the visitor is
exposed to space effects, play with
signs, a wide range of materials and
structures, which, taken together,
make of art and architecture a many-
chanelled activity, as factual and far
from ideal standards as the street
outside.”
Lawrence Alloway
http://www.independentgroup.org.uk/contributors/alloway/
index.html
This is Tomorrow, Whitechapel Gallery, 1956
16. The British
Independent Group
Widely regarded as the founding
work of the Pop art movement, this
collage was made for the show’s
poster and catalog
Richard Hamilton, Just what is it that makes today’s homes so different, so appealing? 1956
17.
18. The British
Independent Group
Described by the artist as “instant
art,” the work is made entirely from
advertisements in magazines
Richard Hamilton, Just what is it that makes today’s homes so different, so appealing? 1956
19.
20.
21.
22. “Hamilton and company seemed to
question the very spectacle they
celebrated”
Foster et al, Art Since 1900
