3 Reasons to Invest in Pop Art
Pop Art is undeniably one of the most popular and influential art movements throughout modern and contemporary art history. Conceived in the 1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom, Pop Art was born out of a desire to dismantle the concept of ‘high art’ and reduce the elitism surrounding artworks, therefore making art a more accessible and democratic field. Elements of the banal every day, such as Andy Warhol’s famous Campbell Soup cans, or comic books, as in the work of Roy Lichtenstein, became key visual symbols of the Pop Art movement, which has gone on to influence scores of artists up until the present day.
However, Pop Art is not only valuable for his art historical and aesthetic traits. As one of the most famous and sought-after art movements, Pop Art also has incredible art market value. So why is now the perfect time to invest in a Pop Art work?
1. The ‘Pop’ in Pop Art
The term ‘Pop Art’ was coined for the movement’s attention to popular culture, mainstream media, and everyday life. It’s little wonder, then, that Pop Art has also become one of the most popular and well-recognised art forms of the 20th Century. Modern masters such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Richard Hamilton and Keith Haring are household names that even non-art specialists are aware of. Copies of their artworks can be found on posters, mugs, and even t-shirts, demonstrating that the Pop Art movement was successful in its mission to make art accessible to all. The result is fame and notoriety of these star-studded artists. Indeed, according to an ArtFacts report, Andy Warhol is the number one most popular artist in the world, with Lichtenstein taking 40th place.
2. Pop Art can be found in the world’s leading museums
The Museum of Modern Art in New York, TATE Modern in London, the Guggenheim, and all leading museums and art galleries all over the world own artwork from the Pop Art era, or have held exhibitions related to the movement. For example, a huge retrospective of Warhol’s work was exhibited at the TATE Modern in 2020, and in 2013, a Keith Haring exhibition was hosted at the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris in 2013. Such major exhibitions not only justify the renown, talent and prestige of these artists, but also greatly influence the going art market price, meaning that the work of these artists have only increased in value over time.
3. Pop Artists have consistently over-performed at auction
Earlier this month, on the 17th March 2021, a series of Andy Warhol’s Endangered Species screenprints sold for £2,919,000,over five times its upper estimate. Warhol is renowned for his silkscreen prints, especially when they are sold as multiples in the same series. According to the Sotheby’s Mei Moses index, the works of Keith Haring have produced an average annual return on investment of 13.3% between 2003 and 2017. Though most famous for his cartoonish stick figures, Haring was also an activist during the HIV/AIDS crisis, and works such as Apocalypse IV have become important symbols of Haring’s activism, and own tragic personal health condition. In December 2020, a Lichtenstein sculpture Coup de Chapeau I sold for $937,500 (against an estimate of $500,000 – 700,000). These statistics demonstrate that even in recent months, the demand for Pop Art has not dwindled. Now is the perfect time to acquire a Pop Art piece online!
