Andy Warhol And Pablo Picasso: The Art Of Appropriation

The art of appropriation is to take possession of something. Appropriation artists deliberately copy images to take possession of them in their art. These artists are not stealing, plagiarizing or passing off these images as their own. They want the viewer to recognise the images they copy, and bring their own interpretation, with the image to the artist’s new context; whether it’s a painting, sculpture, or collage. Appropriation started and has been around ever since art began. However, two artists who have exemplified from the rest were, Andy Warhol and Pablo Picasso. These artists have demonstrated appropriation throughout their art work and have created some of the most famous paintings of our time. Picasso, who was a Spanish painter, was recognised as being the turning point for modern art in the 20th century. He has used appropriation within his painting “les demoiselles d Avignon,” which he has manipulated and abstracted. Andy Warhol was also a major influence towards the pop art movement with his use of appropriation. He demonstrated this when he took an ordinary can of soup and created an iconic screen print. This screen print

Warhol also stated, “art is anything you can get away with”. Therefore, he wants to project his images of the Campbell’s Soup cans to stimulate product recognition. By doing this, he is stirring up the associations and experiences that go along with the soup can.

Warhol’s art also implies that the condition of society and the obsession with fame and the famous can affect the message of an art piece. He was overwhelmed by the power that television had and how the ordinary person saw the glowing box as something more than it really was; a way to communicate. By figuring that out, he saw that art can truly be anything and take any form, whether it be his “Campbell’s Soup Can” or Picasso’s “Les Demoiselles