In my second year of my degree I painted pop art icons using black color on colorful
and geometrical backgrounds. The result was what I expected, the geometrical background worked really well with the black figure however, the visual aspect did not succeed since it became too common. As I observe the paintings, I though I could transform them in order to avail the good aspects they had. I started to change Marilyn Monroe’s painting, transforming it from something usual to something unusual. Since it was an image everyone would recognize from pop culture, I wanted to change it in a way that everyone could still recognize the original image. I looked at the painting and though that the part that I liked the most was Marilyn’s hair in the background so I decided to spread the same effect to her face. I was happy with the result since I could utilize the same image, but in an unusual perspective to break the pop art’s cliche.

 

The Audrey Hepburn’s was my favorite however, it had the same problem: as I looked at it I was not satisfied because I did not feel like it was something unique. At that time I was working with the subject sublime and consumerism and though that maybe I could use these subjects in my painting. If I joined two usual icons, I could create an unusual work: and that is was I did. I added the Rolling Stones' tongue and the result was way more satisfying. That little detail transformed the visual aspect of the whole painting. I also created two different paintings in the same idea (the White Snow and Charlie Chaplin) and emphasized the consumerism aspect on them. To continue this topic I decided to change another painting that did not have any impact for me. I added Facebook and Instagram icons in an undressed girl to represent our contemporary reality: the impact social media has on society.

The last  painting is the English guard with the Joker’s mouth to, once again, create the contrast between the usual an unusual using familiar icons.