Pop Art Glossary

The language of pop art is the language of the masses, inspired often by the era of consumerism. However, as revolutionaries involved in making the art popular, were once artists, the jargon also shows an influence of traditional and modern art in its language. Here we examine some of the popular terms used in pop art.

Pop art: This is an abbreviated form of popular art. It refers to making traditional art more reachable by using elements of consumerism and connecting it to the masses.

Canvas: A traditional medium for displaying art. This is made of cotton and the cloth shows strength in its weave. Though cotton is commonly used for preparing canvas, polyester or linen may also be used.

Comic strip art: Comics have been a prominent part of the 1960s culture, and this was the time when art inspired by it was created. The art uses comic style images to display a theme or a concept. A popular proponent of this style is Roy Lichtenstein.

Collage: A picture created by combining diverse pieces of paper, photographs or other elements. Pop art collages may use multiple photographs of one person or different photos of a single event for creating a collage.

Contemporary Art: A term used to represent present-day art forms. Contemporary Art covers art of today or the recent past or those of a novel and avant-grade nature.

Form: This refers to the overall shape taken by the art work. It also refers to the shape of elements within an artwork.

Graffiti Art: An art form that evolved in the 1970s in New York and was commonly displayed on walls in public places. The art form represents relevant social issues and current cultures and uses spray cans to paint.

Medium: The usage of this term in art has two principle meanings. Firstly, it refers to categories like painting, sculpting, drawing, which are all mediums of art. Secondly, it refers to materials like cloth, ceramic, metal or plastic which are also the mediums on which art is created.

Perspective: The art of representing three dimensional objects of real life on to a two-dimensional plane.

Portrait: The representation of a person using mediums of paints or photographs. Portraits are usually flattering in nature and display the opulence, beauty and personal tastes of the person.

Propaganda art: Visual representations of propaganda campaigns define propaganda art. This art uses racial beliefs, tensions and ideals of the era they belong to. Soviet and Chinese propaganda art are two of its popular forms.

Silhouette: Two dimensional shape of a person or object that appears darker. Silhouettes are usually set against light backgrounds, to bring about the colour contrast and highlight only the shape/outline of the subject.

Street Art: Related to graffiti art, street art is more open-ended in imagination and follows minimal rules. Common elements include painting materials, stenciling and free-hand drawing.

The pop art form uses many terms to connect and understand its various elements. What makes it more acceptable than other art forms, however, is the fact that the content relates more to the people of the era.