Pop art a contemporary art movement that emerged within England and the United States in the late 1940s to the mid to late 50s. Described by themes and techniques drawn from the popular mass culture, pop art emphasised on the attitude given to the work rather than the art itself. Recognised by the intense display of vibrant colours, artists and designers often used trash, collage, comic books, street culture, photomontage, and graffiti within their works.
The King of Pop Art
When we, Gallery Delarue, talk about "Pop Art," we think of Fred Ebami. Born in 1976, Ebami is considered as one of the leading artists in his field. His work is inspired by Andy Warhol, Banksy, and Liechtenstein. In this era where freedom of expression is often questioned; he used sarcasm and messages carried by luminaries from various walks of life, be it mother Theresa, 50 cents, or Rosa Parks to raise awareness. Offering his original and offbeat vision about society with no taboos, he uses the codes of pop art and his love for the universe of comics to do so. Ebami seeks to talk about the troubles of society with humour usually being an overlay, all with a focus to push the boundaries of pop art and strive in taking the medium to a new level.
For Fred Ebami, to be a pop artist is all about meeting the desire to know and understand what people feel. He inspires to make people smile and make them think about it. He is inspired by almost everything, which surrounds him, from news to his joys and sorrows; all of which echoes in his art. His work is physical, mental, playful, but before all is human.
The New Pop Art
His creations of humanity offer a diverse version of our society. As a child, Fred was very much impacted by American culture. The comic book superheroes like Batman and Iron-Man invigorate his everyday life as a kid. Today, Fred has given life to personalities whom he admires the most; from freedom fighter Nelson Mandela to Nigerian multi-instrumentalist, musician, composer Fela Kuti and more are thus brought back in the form of comics on his posters. His artwork also appears to his experience with the world and society. He wishes through his creation to pass on his message of hope to see things moving.
Fred is the kind of pop art. A hybrid art that mixes drawings and graphics work on the computer, real images, and old posters, black and white and superposition of bright colours. He is a fan of posters of old movies and comics. Still drawing on his inspired models Lichtenstein and Warhol, he treats each of the elements perfectly by bringing his commitment to freedom, peace, and his love for Africa. His artwork exhibits a deep connection to his roots, which coincide with an immense need to make colours appear in his works. Behind this jovial and aesthetic aspect, the artist uses colours to tackle and cheer up difficult subjects that affect the whole world.
He is a visual narrator of the facts of his time with optimism and poetry and his eagerness to share his fears and hope to the world. For him, life is raw, and it is never linear and clean. He represents this idea with a lot of colours because, for him, the colours are hope. He loved to play with black and white because its direct, strong, and poignant. His work a unique blend of influence that keeps him connected with his world, with a desire to create emotions. For him, its hard to explain as the ideas come from nowhere. When it comes, its more like an effect of power. His two major and most unique works are Virgin Mary and Yes We Kanye. He often creates visuals where the message is very hard to understand, and he put colours behind them to show that even if its hard, there is always hope. For him, the universe stems from a dream. The objective behind his pop art is to paint and sculpt mass cultural objects and media stars. The pop-art movement aims to blur the margins among high art and low culture.
