Pop Art Prints

Pop Art took the American art scene by storm approximately 50 years ago. When New York dealer Leo Castelli first showed Pop Art in his gallery in 1962, it was embraced by the audience who responded to the familiar subjects -- flat forms, bright colors and sly commentaries made on the mass culture of the era. Printmaking was an ideal medium for the Pop artists. The commercial techniques of screen printing and lithography were well suited to reproducing the magazine, newspaper and comic-strip images favored by many of the artists. From the commercial viewpoint of the galleries, print editions made this imagery more affordable to a large audience that wanted to buy the art.

Pop Art Prints presents a selection of 37 prints from the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s permanent collection. The installation is part of a series that highlights objects from the Smithsonian’s collection that are rarely on public view. This exhibition will be the first of only three museum engagements. The prints on display were selected by Joann Moser, deputy chief curator. Pop Art Prints is organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The C.F. Foundation in Atlanta supports the museum’s traveling exhibition program, Treasures to Go.