'Pop Art Myths' and the 'MYTHS & HEROES' Notion

Pop art:
Pop art appeared in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It broke the rules of classic art. With pop art, art accepted technologie and consumerism.
Every object could become art even an empty campbell suit can.
Pop art consist on hise a fascinating paradoxe. On the one hand, it was a growl breaking innovating movement derived for television advertising and comics. In the other hand it was clearly oriented toward the past and the tradition.

Myth: Their is three definitions:
-A myth is a traditional sacred story, revolving around the activities of gods and heroes, which purports to explain a natural phenomenon or cultural practice and serves as a fundamental type in the world view of people.
-An  idea or story that is believed by many people but that is not true
-A popular belief or story that has become associated with a person, institution, or occurence, especially one concidered to illustrate a cultural idea

Heroe: It exist three definitions:
-A mythological or legendary figure, often of divine descent, endowed with great strenght or ability, celebrated for his/her bold exploits, and favored by the gods.
-A character with noble qualities who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, displays courage and the will for self sacrifice for some greater good of all humanity
-the protagonist of a story, the principal male or female character in a novel, poem, or dramatic presentation.

Double Mickey Mouse, Andy Warhol: Double Mickey Mouse is a screenprint with diamond dust from american artist Andy Warhol, born in Pittsburgh in 1928 and dead in New York in 1987. The dimension are: Sheet: 30 1/2 × 43 1/8 in. (77.5 × 109.5 cm)

Pop art myth's

Pop art Myths:
Pop art emerges in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It was one of the most liberating movements in the history of art. This art movement integrate the real word in art. It integrate consumer society in art, like in advertisings, for exemple for Coca Cola. Pop art iniciate a debat between what is aesthetic and what is non aesthetic. For pop art, every object is aesthetic and every object can become art. Is objective is to offer a  new interpretation of the image in contemporary culture.
Pop art conceals a great paradox. In the one hand, It was an innovating movement  that broke new ground in the path toward postmodernity but at the same time it was oriented toward the past.

Collage advertising comics
Pop art have a large part of advertising. It use a lot of elements of comics, like in look Mikey, of Roy Lichtenstein. This pop art artwork can be an advertisement for Disney. An other artwork in the Disney world is Double Mikey mouse, of Andy Warhole.

Emblems
In the 20th century, it appear a culture of the adverts with the capitalism. Artist like Andy Warhole reprsents evrey day life object in their artworks, like an artwork with Grenn Stamp logo, who have become an emblem of pop art, or Campbell soup can.

Myths
Pop art also used the images of myths, for exemple, Andy Warhole used the image of Marilyn Monroe for an artwork. But others have been used like Marlon Brando, Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean... This art transform this artists on  objects of veneration.

Portraits
With pop art, it arrived a new interpretation of portraits painting. It open the door of postmodernism. The portrait are not just a portrait, it's a reflction of the artist in it.

Landscapes interiors still lifes
In pop art, we see representations of everyday life object, most particullary interior objects. It's a commercial type of paint.

Urban eroticism
In the smiddle 20th century it appears a new sexual freedom. This sexual freedom appears in pop art. This eroticism is used in adverts to sell more products. That's why it appears in pop art.

History painting
Pop art are also a retranscription of history, because in it appears artworks who represents historical events or personalities, like JFK or Mao Zedong.

Art about art
That seems that pop art artists used ancient artworks to do more contemporary artworks with. Is a kind of political denounciation strategy.

Myths and Heroes WORKSHEET

Whenever indicated, use the links to access specific Web pages in order to complete the worksheet + Add personal commentary and/or illustrations when necessary.

Myths

THREE DEFINITIONS:

  

1. A traditional, typically ancient story, revolving around the activities of gods and heroes, which purports to explain a natural phenomenon or cultural practice and  serves as a fundamental type in the world view of a people.

Illustration: PROMETHEUS: http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/glossary/g/myth.htm

                                                + http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prometheus

  DEFINITION + ILLUSTRATION

A myth is a traditional sacred story, typically revolving around the activities of gods and heroes, which purports to explain a natural phenomenon or cultural practice.

The myth of Prometeus talks about a titan named Prometeus who stole the secret of the fire to the god to bring it to the humans. When the gods discovered it, they punish Prometeus with the eternal tourment. He was attached to a mountain and an eagle eats his heart dayli.

+ More illustrations of your own choice:

Ulysses is the hero of the Odyssey. He permited to the greek to win the troy’s war. He was punished by Poseidon because he hurts his son the cyclope. Is punition was to be erring in the sea in the constant research of his patry.

2. An idea or story that is believed by many people but that is not true.

Illustration: URBAN LEGENDS:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_legend  OR

http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Mi-Ni/Modern-Mythology.html#ixzz2gP8Z1tB6

DEFINITION + ILLUSTRATION

An urban legend, popular legend, urban myth, urban tale or contemporary legend is a form of modern folklore consisting of fictional stories with macabre elements deeply rooted in local popular culture. These legends can be used for entertainment purposes, as well as for semi-serious explanations for random events such as disappearances and strange objects

The blue star tattoo legend occasionally surfaces in American elementary and middle schools in the form of a flyer that has been photocopied through many generations, which is distributed to parents by concerned school officials. It has also become popular on Internet mailing lists and websites. This legend states that a temporary lick-and-stick tattoo soaked in LSD and made in the form of a blue star (the logo of the Dallas Cowboys is often mentioned), or of popular children's cartoon characters, such as Mickey Mouse and Bart Simpson, is being distributed to children in the area in order to get them 'addicted to LSD', despite the fact that LSD is non-addictive

+ More illustrations of your own choice:

Creepypastas are horror-related legends or images that have been copy-and-pasted around the Internet.These Internet entries are often brief, user generated ghost or alien stories intended to scare readers. They include gruesome tales of murder, suicide, and otherworldly occurrences. According to TIME magazine, the genre had its peak audience in 2010 when it was covered by The New York Times.

One of the most popular is the story of Jeff the killer, a boy who become mad after the murder of his brother, he disfigure himself and killed his fathers.

3. A popular belief or story that has become associated with a person, institution, or occurrence, especially one considered to illustrate a cultural ideal.

Illustration: ' the American myth of individualism' / ' Marilyn Monroe is a star whose fame has turned her into a myth'

 

+ The myth of the 'good savage'

 http://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/7872031/[The_myth_of_the_good_savage]_

The myth of the Good Savage assumes people to be naturally good, but civilization has led them into the realm of violence, hatred, and cruelty. Besides being naturally good, nice-minded people, "good savages" were also useful, obedient people, most likely to be easily exploited by Europeans

+ Modern mythologies

http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Mi-Ni/Modern-Mythology.html#ixzz2gP8Z1tB6

Not all mythology dates from the days of ancient cultures. People around the world continue to create new myths and to embroider or rework existing ones. Modern technologies such as publishing, movies, telecommunications, and the Internet allow folktales, rumors, and newly minted myths to travel faster and reach more people than ever before. One distinctive feature of some modern legends is that they originated as artistic creations, although their creators may have drawn on earlier themes.

+ More illustrations of your own choice:

I will talk about a singer who as become a myth : 2pac

He is one of the best rapper ever with very clever songs , but is not only a singer. For many people Tupac Shakur is a symbol of the black power because of his fight against the racism present in United State. The fact that he’s dead murdered in strange conditions helps to create an image of a myth.

Heroes/Heroines

THREE DEFINITIONS: 

1. A mythological or legendary figure, often of divine descent, endowed with great strength or ability, celebrated for his/her bold exploits, and favored by the gods.

2. A character with noble qualities who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, displays courage and the will for self sacrifice—that is, heroism—for some greater good of all humanity.

3. The protagonist of a story, the principal male or female character in a novel, poem, or dramatic presentation.

VARIOUS TYPES:

1. BIBLICAL FIGURES/MYTHOLOGICAL HEROES/CULTURE HEROES:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_culture_heroes

A culture hero is a mythological hero specific to some group (cultural, ethnic, religious, etc.) who changes the world through invention or discovery. A typical culture hero might be credited as the discoverer of fire, or agriculture, songs, tradition, law or religion, and is usually the most important legendary figure of a people, sometimes as the founder of its ruling dynasty.

2. LITERARY /FICTIONAL CHARACTERS:

The word "hero" or "heroine" is sometimes used simply to describe the protagonist of a story.

In modern movies, the hero is often simply an ordinary person in extraordinary circumstances, who, despite the odds being stacked against him or her, typically prevails in the end.

Personal illustrations: Menace II Society is a 1993 American hood drama film directed by Allen and Albert Hughes in their directorial debut, and starring Tyrin Turner, Jada Pinkett, Larenz Tate and Samuel L. Jackson. The film is set in South Central Los Angeles, California. The film follows the life of a hoodlum named Kaydee "Caine" Lawson and his close friends. It gained notoriety for its scenes of violence, profanity, and drug-related content. It was released in May 1993 to critical acclaim for its gritty portrayal of urban violence and its powerful underlying messages.

3. SUPER-HEROES:

The larger-than-life hero is a more common feature of fantasy (particularly sword and sorcery and epic fantasy).

In some movies (especially action movies), a hero may exhibit characteristics such as superhuman strength and endurance to the point of the hero being nearly invincible.

Personal illustrations: Batman's secret identity is Bruce Wayne, an American billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, and owner of Wayne Enterprises. Having witnessed the murder of his parents as a child, he swore revenge on criminals, an oath tempered with a sense of justice. Wayne trains himself both physically and intellectually and crafts a bat-inspired persona to fight crime.Batman operates in the fictional Gotham City and is assisted by various supporting characters, including his butler Alfred, the police commissioner Jim Gordon, and vigilante allies such as Robin. Unlike most superheroes, Batman does not possess any superpowers; he makes use of his genius intellect, physical prowess, martial arts skills, detective skills, science and technology, vast wealth, provocation of fear and intimidation, and an indomitable will in his continuous war on crime.

4. HISTORICAL/NATIONAL HEROES WITH POLITICAL/SOCIAL/CULTURAL INFLUENCE:

 --->  Abraham Lincoln/George Washington/Franklin Delano Roosevelt/John F. Kennedy

--->   Martin Luther King, Jr./Rosa Parks

--->   General De Gaulle/Winston Churchill

--->   Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela   (...)

More illustrations of your own choice:

Malcolm X was an American Muslim minister and a human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of blacks, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its crimes against black Americans; detractors accused him of preaching racism and violence. He has been called one of the greatest and most influential African Americans in history.

5. REAL-LIFE HEROES WITH PERSONAL SKILLS IN A PARTICULAR FIELD:

--->   Steve Jobs / Bill Gates        

--->   Felix Baumgartner: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_baumgartner

^{is an Austrian skydiver, daredevil and BASE jumper. He set world records for skydiving an estimated 39 km (24 mi), reaching an estimated speed of 1,357.64 km/h (843.6 mph), or Mach 1.25, on 14 October 2012, and became the first person to break the sound barrier without vehicular power relative to the surface on his descent.}

---> Sportsmen/women / Artists/ Scientists /...

6. EVERYDAY LIFE HEROES / EVERYMAN HEROES:

--->  Firefighters/Police Officers/Rescuers/Doctors Without Borders/...

7. CONTEMPORARY VIRTUAL HEROES:

--->  You Tubers & SocNet users (=Social Network users)

8. ANTI-HEROES:

---> In post-modern fictional works (literature/films/series/plays...):

The antihero or antiheroine is a leading character in a film, book or play who lacks some or all of the traditional heroic qualities, such as altruism, idealism, courage, nobility, fortitude, and moral goodness.

Personal illustrations: Rorschach (born Walter Joseph Kovacs) is a fictional character and an antihero of the acclaimed 1986 graphic novel miniseries Watchmen, published by DC Comics. Rorschach was created by writer Alan Moore with artist Dave Gibbons, but as with most of the main characters in the series, he was an analogue for a Charlton Comics character, in this case Steve Ditko's the Question and Mr. A.

 ---> In real life:

--->Julian Assange / Edward Snowden/Bradley Manning: heroes or traitors?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Assange  / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Snowden  /  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelsea_Manning

Julian Paul Assange (born 3 July 1971) is an Australian computer programmer, publisher and journalist. He is known as the editor-in-chief of the website WikiLeaks, which he co-founded in 2006 after an earlier career in hacking and programming. WikiLeaks achieved particular prominence in 2010 when it published U.S. military and diplomatic documents leaked by Chelsea Manning. Assange has been under investigation in the United States since that time. In the same year, the Swedish Director of Public Prosecution opened an investigation into four sexual offences that Assange is alleged to have committed. In 2012, facing extradition to Sweden, he sought refuge at the Embassy of Ecuador in London and was granted political asylum by Ecuador.

Edward Joseph Snowden (born June 21, 1983) is an American privacy activist, computer professional, former CIA employee, and former government contractor who leaked classified information from the United States National Security Agency (NSA) in 2013. The information revealed numerous global surveillance programs, many run by the NSA and the Five Eyes with the cooperation of telecommunication companies and European governments.

Snowden was hired by Booz Allen Hamilton, an NSA contractor, in 2013 after previous employment with Dell and the CIA. On May 20, 2013, Snowden flew to Hong Kong after leaving his job at an NSA facility in Hawaii and in early June he revealed thousands of classified NSA documents to journalists Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras and Ewen MacAskill. Snowden came to international attention after stories based on the material appeared in The Guardian and The Washington Post. Further disclosures were made by other newspapers including Der Spiegel and The New York Times.

On June 21, 2013, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed charges against Snowden of two counts of violating the Espionage Act and theft of government property. On June 23, he flew to Moscow, Russia, where he reportedly remained for over a month. Later that summer, Russian authorities granted him a one-year temporary asylum which was later extended to three years. As of 2015, he was still living in an undisclosed location in Russia while seeking asylum elsewhere.

A subject of controversy, Snowden has been variously called a hero, a whistleblower, a dissident, a patriot, and a traitor. His disclosures have fueled debates over mass surveillance, government secrecy, and the balance between national security and information privacy.

Chelsea Elizabeth Manning[4] (born Bradley Edward Manning, December 17, 1987) is a United States Army soldier who was convicted in July 2013 of violations of the Espionage Act and other offenses, after disclosing to WikiLeaks nearly three-quarters of a million classified or unclassified but sensitive military and diplomatic documents.[5 Manning was sentenced in August 2013 to 35 years' imprisonment, with the possibility of parole in the eighth year, and to be dishonorably discharged from the Army. Manning is a trans woman who, in a statement the day after sentencing, said she had felt female since childhood, wanted to be known as Chelsea, and desired to begin hormone replacement therapy. From early life and through much of her Army life, Manning was known as Bradley; she was diagnosed with gender identity disorder while in the Army