Popism

Popism is a term most commonly associated with the artistic and cultural movement of the 1980s, particularly as it relates to the artistic philosophy and output of Andy Warhol. It describes a sensibility that embraces the accessibility, superficiality, and commercialism often found in popular culture. Popism saw the elevation of everyday objects, media personalities, and consumerist ideals to the level of high art.

Key characteristics of Popism include:

• Celebration of the Mundane: A focus on commonplace objects and imagery, often taken directly from advertising, comic books, and everyday life.
• Embrace of Mass Culture: An acceptance and celebration of mass media, commercialism, and consumer culture, rather than a rejection of it.
• Superficiality and Style: A deliberate emphasis on surface appearances, style, and fashion over deep meaning or profound emotion. This can be interpreted as a commentary on the perceived superficiality of modern life.
• Factory-Like Production: A detachment from traditional artistic craftsmanship, often employing mass production techniques and collaborative efforts, exemplified by Warhol's "Factory."
• Irony and Detachment: A sense of irony and detachment from the subject matter, often using humor and parody to comment on the values of popular culture.

While often used synonymously with Pop Art, Popism extends beyond purely visual art and encompasses a broader cultural attitude. It influenced areas such as fashion, music, film, and design, and can be seen as a precursor to later movements that further blurred the lines between high and low culture. The term gained traction through the book Popism: The Warhol Sixties, co-authored by Andy Warhol and Pat Hackett, which chronicled the cultural scene surrounding Warhol's Factory during that era.