Add Some POP to Your Collectibles Display with Pop Art

Since their inception, comic books have revolutionized storytelling. The panels we know and love so well developed their own distinctive visual style, with vibrant colors and bold letters that make their stories pop. That word, pop, has been used to describe both culture and art, especially when it comes to the brands, characters, and styles that we enjoy on a daily basis. It’s all around us.

Derived from the word “popular,” pop culture means many things. Typically, it refers to the mainstream media we consume, the cultural connections that allow people from separate countries to recognize the same song or the same public figure.

In the 1950s, pop culture even gave rise to pop art, an art movement heavily inspired by comic books. Pop art was a POW! in the face to the same old styles that had been around for so long. So when it comes to finding a new addition for your collection, consider adding a piece of pop art. They are real conversation starters — and we’ve got you covered on choosing the right one.

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Be@rbrick x Keith Haring

 

The linear figures and shapes of Keith Haring evoke movement itself. His work focuses on the body interacting with its environment, always dancing and shaking to an invisible beat.

Haring’s most well-known work emerged in the 1980s, beginning as a series of public murals in New York City subways and soon making its way all around the world. Be@rbrick captures the playful spirit of his designs in their various Keith Haring pieces. As his art matured, Haring’s figures became symbols of activism as he promoted AIDS awareness and fiercely advocated for public access to art.

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Be@rbrick x Jean-Michel Basquiat

While still in high school, Jean-Michel Basquiat had already developed a distinctive visual style and, hardest of all, an artistic voice unlike any other. His art immediately draws the audience in — it’s visceral, it’s unafraid, and demands attention.

Along with classmate Al Diaz, Basquiat first gained recognition when he created a graffiti campaign across NYC’s downtown scene, with messages about SAMO scrawled across buildings and in public spaces. Basquiat’s art spoke to the Black experience as well as questioned social systems and challenged power struggles.

His art spanned multiple formats and he famously collaborated with artists like Haring and Andy Warhol, as captured in this eye-catching piece from Be@rbrick.

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Be@rbrick x Andy Warhol

It’s hard to discuss pop art without the name Andy Warhol making an appearance. Many of his works are among the most iconic examples of pop art because he combined kitsch with concept. Warhol’s work uses everyday products to initiate conversation around our roles as consumers.

Twisted by the bright colors and catchy slogans of advertisement, he created Brillo Soap Box sculptures as well as paintings of Campbell’s tomato soup cans. Likewise, Warhol’s technicolor grids took the already-famous faces of celebrities, captured by Be@rbrick’s Marilyn Monroe and Muhammad Ali figures, and made them immortal.

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Mighty Jaxx inspired by Jeff Koons

Some art is larger than life, and Jeff Koons exemplifies this school of thought. His work is often a product of art fabrication, a method in which the artist’s vision extends beyond a canvas or studio. Art fabrication pushes a concept onto a whole crew to produce a piece that is assembled by the hands of many and incorporates multiple elements, while still embodying the central style of the artist.

These Popek figures from Mighty Jaxx take inspiration from the balloon animals of Koons’ Celebration series. They allow us to see through his most famous sculptures and take a piece of his work home.

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Break the Bank(sy)

Few collectibles embody the true spirit of subversive pop culture better than Mighty Jaxx’s Donut Bomber. At first sight, you notice an angry Homer Simpson parting ways with his beloved donuts, aiming the entire box at a target we can’t see. But Homer is also paying homage to a street art pioneer, Banksy, whose enigmatic work has popped up all over the globe since the 1990s.

Banksy street art murals are political, often combining war imagery with his signature black-and-white stencil figures. Though his identity remains unknown, Banksy’s universal themes continue to inspire social commentary in every corner of the world.

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Art might be subjective but it’s hard to deny the cool factor of these collectibles. When you’re looking to add some POP! to your own home display, look no further than the pop art-inspired products available at Sideshow.

Who’s your favorite pop artist? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!