Pop Art has come a long way from comic strip imagery, photos of Hollywood icons and soup can paintings. Now, a new generation of artists is putting a fresh spin on the genre.

These creative minds will be introduced to art enthusiasts during an upcoming exhibition at the University of Houston’s Blaffer Gallery. “POPulence” opens with a reception at 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 24 and runs through Saturday, Aug. 27.

“The artists in this exhibition are engaged in an investigation of Pop Art issues mixed with decorative surfaces,” said Terrie Sultan, director of the Blaffer Gallery. “There’s the Pop Art, and then there’s the opulence of the surfaces. These form the theme behind ‘POPulence.’”

Organizing this exhibition is David Pagel, a Los Angeles-based art critic and curator, who selected 50 works from 19 different artists to be displayed in “POPulence.” He also worked with Sultan to design the installation of the exhibition.

“It’s always a challenge to coordinate an exhibition like this,” Sultan said. “David worked for three years researching artists and contacting those he already knew. Then we had to obtain pieces that were available from the artists and borrow some from private collections. It was a huge endeavor.”

This fall, returning students will not only have a chance to see “POPulence,” but they also can participate in a farewell celebration sponsored by the Blaffer Student Association on Thursday, Aug. 25 featuring a lecture by David Pagel and a reception.

“This really is a beautiful show,” Sultan said. “It’s very optimistic and shows an exuberance in contemporary art that people will appreciate.”

Mike Emery
memery@central.uh.edu