'Pop! 50 Years of Art & Popular Culture' Exhibition Comes to Frederick R. Weisman Museum

The unique influence of Pop art will be explored in Pop! 50 Years of Art & Popular Culture from the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation at Pepperdine University's Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art beginning Tuesday, August 28 until Sunday, December 2. A special opening reception will be held Sunday, September 9 from 2-4 p.m. There is no admission charge and the public is invited to attend.

Featuring vintage examples of historic Pop art, combined with work by younger artists, this exhibition features more than 50 pieces, and looks at the varied ways contemporary art continues to reflect mass media and daily life.

Since Pop art appeared in the early 1960s, artists have drawn inspiration from popular culture. Over time, Pop has proven to be a remarkably resilient and flexible style, renewing itself with each generation of young artists who look at the world around them with an alert and lively eye. The artists in this exhibition draw inspiration from a wide range of daily experiences, from comic books to television, from kitchen toasters to manhole covers. Including work by the pioneers of the movement as well as by newer talents, this exhibition reveals that the Pop spirit is ever renewed in the eye of the beholder.

"Andy Warhol created his first Campbell's Soup Can paintings in 1962-over 50 years ago. Although the style is over half a century old, the imagery still strikes us as new and fresh," said Michael Zakian, Director of the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art.

This exhibition includes vintage examples of Pop Art by founders such as Claes Oldenburg and James Rosenquist, as well as works by younger artists who continue to comment on our everyday world. Highlights include Richard Artschwager's whimsical Exclamation Point, Keith Haring's explorations of graffiti art, and Yayoi Kusama's famous polka dotted pumpkins, among other fascinating artworks.

This exhibition was organized by Mrs. Billie Milam Weisman and is supported through the ongoing generosity of the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation.

The second part of this exhibition is on view at the Pete & Susan Barrett Art Gallery, 1310 11th Street, Santa Monica, from Tuesday, September 4 through Saturday, October 13, 2018. Their opening reception will be held on Saturday, September 8 from 6-8 p.m.

The Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art at Pepperdine University was dedicated in September 1992. For over 25 years, it has showcased historical and contemporary art by nationally recognized artists, focusing on the art of California. Past exhibitions have included Rodin's Obsession: The Gates of Hell (2001), Claes Oldenburg: Drawings (2004), Chihuly Los Angeles (2005), Jim Dine: Some Drawings (2007), Roy Lichtenstein: In Process (2011), Illustrating Modern Life: The Golden Age of American Illustration from the Kelly Collection (2013), Wayne Thiebaud: Works on Paper(2014), Chuck Close: Face Forward (2015), Andy Warhol: Life and Legends (2016), and Larry Bell: Pacific Red (2017).

Located on Pepperdine's main campus at 24255 Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, CA, the museum is open Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is closed on Mondays and major holidays. There is no admission charge.

For more information, call (310) 506-4851 or visit: arts.pepperdine.edu/museum

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