It’s that time of the year to get your dusting equipment out along with the knick knacks from the closets for their annual cleaning rituals. The festive season is upon us!
Every year we agonize over how to decorate our homes, and make it look different and unique to the visitors. This year, let’s go beyond colourful hangings, lights, lamps and throw away decorations. Let’s work towards giving the home a makeover that will brighten it up till next festive season. This season, revive the Pop Art Movement.
Playing with colour and light:
Most of our festivals depend heavily on colours and lights, and a style that easily highlights the same would be the Pop Art culture. This style though westernized, popularized by artworks such Campbell’s Soup I (1968), Marilyn Monroe (1964) or the iconic Banana (1966), and the great Andy Warhol, can find resonance in our culture as well.
After all, the movement is about celebrating the ordinary, commonplace objects and people from everyday life. In fact, the inspiration behind a number of contemporary artworks can be traced back to the Pop Art movement.
And, since our festivals are all about revisiting the traditions, let’s do so with a dash of pop art motifs. But before we move into decorating, it is imperative toe educate ourselves with regard to the movement and its significant artists.
Pop Art: The Movement:
This movement came about in the 1950s and was popularized in the 1960s by the artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, James Rosenquist, and Claes Oldenburg. The style is quirky, colourful, bold and beautiful. Pop Art was essentially a movement characterized by ironic representations of the traditions of the popular culture with direct references to consumerism. Thus the images were identifiable illustrations of banal elements such as money, fashion, love, lust etc. The transition of works can be seen through paintings, sculptures, and illustrations. And, as a style, these were later adapted to furniture and décor in order to represent a concept.
Indian Crafts Revival:
Art and crafts are embedded in the Indian culture, and many rural artisans, artists make a living by creating and displaying the same. Their works have a flavour. It’s a direct illustration of traditions and culture that they are exposed to. The design that is eventually arrived upon is devoid of intricate patterns but revels in simple lines. Thus, traditions are the perfect way to instill in Pop art themes into your spaces.
Go Retro:
Revisit the history of the festivals through your décor. Make them culture specific with direct illustrations of the past. There are many popular home décor brands such as the Indiacircus and the Chumbak that primarily base their concept ideas on retro India in splashes of colourful hues.
Own or create a pop-art piece:
There are some signature furniture pieces of the Pop Art era which are very relevant to the contemporary. One such piece that fits well into the Indian festive décor is the Marshmallow sofa by George Nelson.The colour and shape are in perfect union and attribute well into the celebratory mood of a space. You could also create a piece that fits into the style by revamping your existing boring wardrobes. Throw in multiple colours with festive annotations or calligraphy and enjoy the perks of a colourful Indian décor.
Ditch the Flora and fauna:
Flowers and leaves are essential to almost all Indian festivals. But this time around, think different. Instead of investing in flowers that don’t stay for too long, and are heavy on the pocket, go for flower motifs. Bring the same idea of floral arrangements as imprints on your furnishings and artifacts. Floral printed cushions, rugs, and curtains are not only helpful in engaging with the décor will also leave a lasting impression on your visitors. They also add colour to your space, making it look festive all year round.
So this festive season, prep up your homes in the most vibrant fashion. Utilise colourful hues, illumination, and imagery to break the existing convention of festival decorations. Or, just follow the words of Pop Artist, Andy Warhol “Everything is beautiful, Pop art is everything.”