Pop Art Project at Huntington High School
March 24, 2023
Huntington High School photography students have been studying pop art. Teacher Pamela Piffard presented a detailed lesson before assigning a project that requires students to produce 20 photos portraying the characteristics of pop art.
Students are utilizing the classroom studio for the project. “They work in teams of three,” Mrs. Piffard said. “Each is scheduled for a full class period photoshoot and the other two team members are their photo assistants for the photoshoot.”
“Pop art is an art movement that emerged in the US and England during the mid-to-late 1950’s,” Mrs. Piffard told students. “The movement challenged the traditions of fine art by including imagery of popular and mass culture, such as advertising, comic books and mundane cultural objects.”
The veteran teachers reinforced her lesson with photo examples. “Following the popularity of the abstract expressionists, pop art reintroduced identifiable imagery and was a major shift for the direction of modern art,” Mrs. Piffard said. “Pop artists celebrated commonplace objects and people of everyday life, in this way seeking to elevate popular culture to the level of fine art. Pop art has become one of the most recognizable styles of modern art.”
Pop art gained traction with New York based artists Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and James Rosenquist, “all of whom drew on popular imagery and were actually part of an international phenomenon,” Mrs. Piffard said.
The teacher explained that bold colors, simple images and everyday items are all some of the common visual characteristics of pop art. Bright, flat, consistent lighting with little to no shadows works best for creating the pop art “look.”
Mrs. Piffard showed used a variety of student and professional photos to help class members understand the concepts associated with pop art.
Students were assigned a project that requires them to produce 20 photos portraying the characteristics of pop art. The images can be created by using objects or a model. Students were asked to brainstorm, pre-plan and create a proposal.
“You will work in teams of three and have three days to work; one day as a photographer,” Mrs. Piffard told students. “The other two people on your team will be your assistants and help you as needed.”
Students were required to bring their own props to their photoshoot. “Speak to me if there is something you need help getting and I will see what I can do,” Mrs. Piffard said.
