This weekend the BBC broadcasted a Culture Show Special – ‘Pop Go the Women: The Other Story of Pop Art’. The brilliant arts programme questioned why the story of Pop Art has been culturally canonised as the preserve of a ground-breaking group of men...
In the show Alistair Sooke tracks down the forgotten women artists of Pop, finding their art and their stories ripe for rediscovery. His fascinating exploration of Pop Art proves that the movement wasn’t just a boys’ club. Despite history focusing on the likes of Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Peter Blake, and Richard Hamilton, the scene in sixties was in fact full of female artists, tussling with sexuality, violence, and consumer culture every but as much as their male counterparts. The female artists included Pauline Boty, Marisol, Rosalyn Drexler, Idelle Weber, Letty Lou Eisenhauer and Jann Haworth.
The Telegraph has described it as “a very good documentary.” It features footage from our favourite 1962 Monitor documentary, ‘Pop Goes the Easel’, showing Pauline Boty and other young artists (including our darling Peter Blake) grooving around London’s coffee bars and jazz clubs. Don’t miss this fascinating insight into one of the 20th century’s greatest art movements – you can catch the show on BBC iplayer until the end of the week.
Image Credit: Alastair Sooke with artist Rosalyn Drexler Photo: BBC
