Pop Art Design

Yesterday I enjoyed my first exhibition of the year, and on my birthday too! The Barbican Centre, a large sprawling collection of arts venues (which I found a little confusing to navigate!) was holding a Pop Art Design exhibition.


 

Being about the beginnings of Pop Art, and how the movement was adopted and incorporated into Design, there were of course plenty of works by Roy Lichtenstein, Eduardo Paolozzi, Peter Blake, and Charles and Ray Eames.
There were several Warhol pieces. Hardly surprising, as the guy seemed to churn out work at a seemingly industrial rate, hence the name The Factory, I guess! I'm not a big fan of his stuff, but it certainly defines the movement.


Close Cover Before Striking

Studio 65 was well represented too, this sofa was one of my faves:


Leonardo

I liked Jann Haworth's pieces. Her calico Cowboy freaks me out a li'l bit, it's just a tad too Westworld for me! But this fabric work was a real feast for the eyes, I even set the alarms off leaning across to check out the needlework on the comic book ~ oops!



Donuts, Coffee Cups & Comics

These paper earring kits were pretty cool, they definitely appealed to the crafter in me and I loved the packaging.


And of course, as with every exhibition I go to, I discovered a new artist whose work turned out to be my highlight of the show. This time around it seemed that every time I was drawn towards a particular work the name attached to it was the same . . . Alexander Girard.

 

His stunning use of colour, adorable folksy images, and gorgeous typefaces, had me gasping with joy.  

 

Although he is best known for his textile work, he was also an architect, as well as a designer of furniture and interiors. I can tell I am going to be looking for affordable versions of his work, and I definitely want to see if I can get hold of some of his fonts.

 

The exhibition finishes on 9th February so if you're interested you'll need to go soon. It is also part of the 2for1 entry deal available with your rail ticket, so it makes for a pretty good value day out.