Pop Icons Exhibit Celebrates Iconic Artists and Cultural Movements at Catalina Museum for Art & History

The Catalina Museum for Art & History is presenting Pop Icons, an exhibition that brings together some of the most influential artists of the Pop Art movement, drawing from the celebrated Sweeney Art Gallery Collection at UCR ARTS at the University of California, Riverside. The exhibition, opening on January 18, 2025, showcases works from the 1950s-1970s by artists whose influence continues to shape visual culture today. From iconic figures like Andy Warhol to thought-provoking pieces by Sister Corita Kent, Pop Icons presents a unique exploration of art’s relationship with consumer culture and everyday life.

Featured in the exhibition is Warhol’s screen print of Queen Elizabeth II (1985), one of his most recognizable works that exemplifies the blending of pop culture with high art. Warhol’s Campbell's Soup series, including the Consomme (Beef) (1968) print, also graces the gallery, alongside works by other renowned Pop Art figures such as Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg and Claes Oldenburg. These pieces reflect the artists’ innovative approaches to mass media, advertising and the juxtaposition of high and low culture.

"These artists and their works have entered the lexicon of pop culture, which gave the movement its name, even if people have not seen the works as the artist originally intended. That is why it is always so exciting to bring works by these icons of American art to new environments and audiences," said exhibition curator, Timothy LeBlanc.

Additionally, the exhibition highlights Sister Corita Kent's use of text and religious and political messages and Rauschenberg's experiments with abstract collages. Through the creative lens of Pop Art, these works push the boundaries of art and challenge viewers to reconsider their relationship with the world around them.

To post a comment, you must register and login.