Art_Store

The Great American Pop Art Store:
Multiples of the Sixties

location: University Art Museum at California State University

Andy Warhol

    This particular show reexamines the era when artists such as Andy Warhol, George Segal, and Jasper Johns began to make their art more accessible to the everyday public. The artists include greats such as the above, along with Jim Dine, Claes Oldenburg, James Rosenquist and others who were essential in the movement. More than 100 pieces of Pop Art will be included in this 11 city, National tour.
      The Great American Pop Art Store focuses on a specific genre of Pop Art, those produced in multiples and editions. Most of these works in the beginning were scarce, moderately priced, and a regular part of American culture. This concept was created during a newspaper strike and the artists needed to advertise their exhibitions. It was through this act of advertisement that people began to desire these objects for reasons such as collectables. This pushed the boundaries of art even further because artists began experimenting in materials and making the boundary between art and factories even closer.
     These pieces of art were useable, they were not seen as something to look at and not touch. Roy Lichtenstein produced a series of 800 place settings that his patronbrought and used everyday for regular dinner festivities.

Exhibit Reviews

Issues

    Artists took this idea even further with the creation of "The Store". Claes Oldenburg set up such a display in his studio in 1961-1962 in where he created items such as ice-cream sandwiches, shoes and everyday consumer items and created them from materials generally used for sculptures and artwork. Every item was signed, editioned, and numbered to give it an artistic quality. When the paying customer would check out at the counter, he or she was presented with a piece of candy made from plaster.
     In 1964, The American Supermarket was set up by a collaboration of artists who all contributed to the functionality of the supermarket. Andy Warhol made a shopping bag with a Campbell's Soup Can silk-screened on the front. Rom Wesselmann gave a 3-dimmensional turkey, Oldenburg donated cakes, cookies, and cheeses made from wax. The exhibition catalogue explains that this attempt was to, "Challenge long-held assumptions that equated quality with rarity, handmade gesture with potent content, and size with magnitude of idea."
     Collectors were eager to purchase these numbered editions, they created the craze for such items. Generally, they were not taken seriously in the art market until so. The pop 'phenomenon' hit the highest between the years of 1964-1967, where everything from prints to wallpaper were being created in multiples.
     This show recreates the 1960's boutiques, not unlike those that would have existed by the artist. Although this show is made up of 'manufactured' multiples, they are shown with many of the original sketches and designs that helped produce these items. Overall, this is an inventive way to display some of the most cherished and innovative works of art. This art is not static, that is why it is so popular (Johnson).

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