Alt Pop: An Alternative History to American Pop Art

Chryssa, Rosalyn Drexler, Jann Haworth, Ray Johnson, Kiki Kogelnik, Kay Kurt, Marisol, Claes Oldenburg, Andy Warhol, Idelle Weber, John Wesley, Tom Wesselmann, May Wilson

In conjunction with our marquee 20th Century & Contemporary Art Evening and Day sales, PhillipsX is pleased to present Alt Pop: An Alternative History to American Pop Art.

The artists who have come to be associated with Pop did not all adhere to a central manifesto, nor did they rely on a singular (or even group of) iconoclastic intellectual figures to dictate taste and style. The term pop was thrust upon them – in many cases as a derogatory categorization – and thereby cemented their reputation as practitioners of such.

In the prevailing literature that surrounds Pop – and particularly the artists working in America – much attention is paid to a group of five or so men who are central to the movement’s adoption by a broad commercial and critical audience. By reconsidering the influence of a variety of figures – many of them women – who actively participated in the movement from its inception, we can cull new insights into the recurring themes and meanings within Pop art itself, while also gleaning new perspective on the artists and movements which proceed it. While the artists presented in this exhibit did indeed overlap at various points in their careers, each found their way to a working artistic method through their adoption of this universal consumerist language.

Curated by Alexander Weinstock, this exhibition features artworks for sale and on loan.