Seven Questions To Help You "Pop"

Seven Questions To Help You "Pop"

Charlie Bradley Ross Thursday, 7 August 2014

Andy Warhol, the American artist acknowledged for his part in the Pop Art movement and his use of colour, is still one of the most influential people in the fashion and design world. Completely on trend this summer, bright colours and pop art inspired interiors are everywhere.


Who Was Andy Warhol?

Andy Warhol, a commercial illustrator turned painter, printer and film maker, was a leading figure during the 20th Century movement, "Pop Art". He wanted the subject of his paintings to be distinctive, not necessarily glamorous or intricate, but distinctive, so that he could experiment with different contexts and colours. His subjects range from everyday mundane objects like “Campbell’s Soup Cans” to celebrities including “Marilyn Monroe”, to cartoons!

Over the years, he became fascinated with the concept of craftsmanship and personality within artwork, and sought to create a style that eliminated both. He believed that art could be developed from objects around us, that could be both individual and mass produced. With his later works, Andy Warhol totally destroyed the boundaries between commercial arts and fine arts.

Seven Questions To Help You Pop

Have a look at these examples (check out NorthernLightsExteriors.com for more), where interior designers have used "Pops" of colour to accent a room. You can see how these rooms reflect the same characteristics as Andy Warhol's artwork:

1. What Do You Want Your Colour To Say?

Throughout Warhol's work, the use of bright colours is comical and fanciful. Particularly with more eccentric colours, like pink, your rooms will reflect this too.

2. What Is the Focal Point?

Just as Warhol focused on one subject, these pops of colour really only work on one or two items in a room, one pop piece being the most impactful. Be safer and focus the colour on your throws and cushions, or be a bit daring and choose a coffee table or beautiful chair... please don't go for the TV!

3. What's The Background Colour?

In all of Warhol's work, the background is never elaborate. While there may be many objects in these rooms, the wall colours are always incredibly neutral and all walls are the same colour - there are no statement walls that aren't your chosen "pop" colour.

4. How Daring?

Just like Warhol, these rooms challenge idealist visions. Rooms that "pop" challenge the norm and very daring by nature -They make a statement!

5. Is There Enough Contrast?

In all of Warhol's work, there is high contrast between the subject and the background - or else you don't get a "pop". While we love an analogous colour scheme, that will never have a true "pop" effect.

6. Are You Zoned?

Large zones of flat colours are visible, usually the walls and the floors.

7. Does Your Colour Reflect You?

Most importantly: Warhol always used pattern and colour to convey a beautiful message through the subject. When you're choosing your "Pop" colour, choose something that reflects you. Red - for a more ethnic, earthy, travelled look; Royal Blue - cool, calm, reserved, powerful; Lime Green - fashion forward, fresh, zingy, vibrant ; Hot Pink - Eccentric, fun, feminine, vitality.

How To Get The Look

To celebrate Andy Warhol’s birthday this 6th of August, we have compiled a list of our favourite brightly coloured and pop art influenced fabrics to inspire your creations and add a pop of colour to your style. As an additional bonus, the fabrics are all environmentally and socially beneficial so you can feel good about getting creative!

  • Scarlet Hand Block Cotton – Bright and bold, our Scarlet hand block cotton is peppered with big white flowers. Printed by hand and completely opaque it’s the perfect fabric for summer shirts, skirts and bedding there’s a lot of scope to create something truly unique. And to spice up your room, use it for lightweight curtains and gorgeous soft furnishings.
  • Hand Block Print Fabric Offset Warehouse
  • Royal Blue Hessian – Shades of blue feature throughout Andy Warhol’s most popular works, and this royal blue hessian is a wonderful ode to his art. The hessian is durable enough to make bags, belts and even toys, and it’s right on trend this summer too! Or do something different and make a fabulous foot stool or pin - perfect for adding a dose of colour quickly and easily into any room.
  • Royal Blue Hessian
  • Lime Green Raw Silk – A vibrant green in the light, and khaki otherwise, this is the perfect fabric to create products with a bright, summery feel. Just enough pop to jazz up a room, but muted enough to not scare your guests. It's a gorgeously luxurious fabric - hand dyed and completely hand woven in a co-operative in Cambodia.
  • Lime Green Raw Silk
  • Two Tone Pink Peace Silk Taffeta – Very Marilyn-esque, this two tone peace silk taffeta features a bold pink colour that changes from bright pink to a nude peach depending on the lighting. Make a bold statement and use it for an ultra luxe set of curtains, or incorporate it more subtly for a set of pillow cases that peek out from the under the duvet.
  • Two Tone Peace Silk Taffeta Offset Warehouse