Examine British paintings of the 1950s and 60s in this hybrid lecture.
These were decades which witnessed the eventual end of post-war austerity: and the inauguration of the modern consumer society. British artists such as Peter Blake and David Hockney sought to capture this new atmosphere of consumerist hedonism by means of an American stylistic import: ‘Pop Art’. This was an artistic style which traded ironically in fragmentary images of consumer luxury: advertising slogans, images of new household goods, portents of the increasing ‘Americanisation’ of British popular culture.
At the same time, artists such as Bridget Riley reflected the lingering aesthetics of Modernism, through the medium of ‘Op Art’: a visual style which used pure lines and geometric abstractions in order to create vibrantly scintillating plays of optical illusion.
This lecture is part of the 'Art in Britain: 1940 to the Present' lecture series, taking place on Tuesdays from 27 January to 3 March 2026. You can choose to register for individual lectures or may choose to register for the entire lecture series at a reduced price.
Please note: this lecture will close to enrolments at 23:59 GMT on 19 February.