Pop Art

Pop Art

                 Pop Art became a trend somewhere in the mid-1950s in England, but came to its highest level of potential in New York in the '60s alongside with Minimalism. In Pop Art, the classic was replaced with the everyday and the mass-produced awarded the same significance as the unique; the gap between high art and low art was wearing away. The media and advertising were the favorite subjects for the Pop Art's amusing celebrations of a consumerist society. Perhaps the greatest Pop artist, whose innovations have affected so much subsequent art, was the American artist, Andy Warhol (1928-87).

              The term ``Pop Art'' was first used by an English critic named  Lawrence Alloway in a 1958 in an issue of Architectural Digest to describe those paintings that celebrate post-war consumerism of being able to defy the psychology of Abstract Expressionism and embrace materialism. The most famous of the Pop artists, the cult figure Andy Warhol, recreated quasi-photographic paintings of people or everyday objects.

WebMuseum: Pop Art. 2013. WebMuseum: Pop Art. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/tl/20th/pop-art.html. [Accessed 20 May 2013].

Celtic Art: Tattoos

Celtic Art: Tattoos

                    Celtic tattoos were a likely sight among Celtic warriors.Much like the Picts (In Latin: Picti meaning "painted ones"), who tattooed their warriors as a form of intimidation against their enemies; the Celts likely adopted the same war tactic of that time.

               Battle among the Celts was considered as a very high honor. The Celts often went to battle bare-chested or even naked. They believe it reinforced a stance of intimidation against their foes. Additionally, Celtic warriors would fashion their hair with bright dies from pastes made from flowers, and typically manipulate their hair in a tall spikey fashion around the head (think Celtic punk rock).

          The Woad plant was used to perform the tattooing, as it is a hardy biennial plant native to northern Europe and the British Isles. Woad is the source of a blue dye chemical, indigotin, that is also produced by the much more potent indigo plant.

              To make Celtic tattoos, the leaves of the Woad plant are harvested and dried, then the  dried leaves are then boiled and strained, and boiled again creating a sticky end product. This Woad paste is then detailed into the skin with needle like implements to force the indigo stain under the skin layers, creating a fixed design.

Celtic Tattoos - History and Meaning. 2013. Celtic Tattoos - History and Meaning. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.whats-your-sign.com/celtic-tattoos.html. [Accessed 20 May 2013].

Maui Celtic - Celtic Art, Celtic Art History, Celtic Tattoo History, Maui Celtic Art resource on Maui, Hawaii. 2013. Maui Celtic - Celtic Art, Celtic Art History, Celtic Tattoo History, Maui Celtic Art resource on Maui, Hawaii. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.mauiceltic.com/celtic-art.htm. [Accessed 20 May 2013].

Celtic Art

Celtic Art

      Celtic art dates back from at least 700 B.C. in Central Europe, the earliest recorded settlements with Celtic cultures were Halstatt in what today is Austria, and in the 5th century B.C. centered around Lake Neuchatel in what today is Switzerland, the home of the early La Tène Style of Celtic art, with its curviness and spirals.     Sometimes it is combined with cross-hatching, mainly produced on metalwork. The Celtic tribes gradually spread all over Europe, taking their art style and culture with them.

            As the Roman Empire expanded and conquered the Celtic Lands of Europe, continental tribes migrated to the isles of the Britons to join the residents of those safe havens, and took their artwork skills to those lands. In the isles of the ancient Britons and Irish, at the end of the known world of that time, Celtic artwork and culture survived and developed far better.

     The ancient Celts were attached to nature and the elements, and worshipped the sun, moon, the stars and the Earth Mother, with a wide range of goddesses and gods. They celebrated their deities, ancestors, life, the natural world and its creatures, and the changing of the seasons through their music, poetry, story-telling and art. Their poets and musicians which were the Bards and their wise holy men the Druids, were very high up in the social ladder of the tribe. Their artisans were also well respected, and were stone carvers, wood and metal workers. 

Maui Celtic - Celtic Art, Celtic Art History, Celtic Tattoo History, Maui Celtic Art resource on Maui, Hawaii. 2013. Maui Celtic - Celtic Art, Celtic Art History, Celtic Tattoo History, Maui Celtic Art resource on Maui, Hawaii. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.mauiceltic.com/celtic-art.htm. [Accessed 20 May 2013].

Celtic Art: The Book of Kells

The Book of Kells

               It is an Irish manuscript containing the Four Gospels, a fragment of Hebrew names and the Eusebian canons also known as the "Book of Columba", probably because it was written in the monastery of Iona in order to honor the saint. It is likely that it’s to this book that the entry in the "Annals of Ulster" under the year 1006 refers; recording that in that year the "Gospel of Columba" was stolen.

         According to tradition, the book is a relic from the time of Columba and even the work of his own hands, but, on palæographic grounds and judging by the characteristics of its decoration, this tradition cannot be sustained, and the date of the composition of this book can hardly be placed earlier than the end of the seventh or beginning of the eighth century. This must be the book which the Welshman, Geraldus Cambrensis, saw at Kildare in the last quarter of the 12th century and which he describes in glowing terms. 

CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Book of Kells. 2013. CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Book of Kells. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08614b.htm. [Accessed 20 May 2013].

Meaning of Designs and Types of Designs in Celtic Art

Type of Designs in Celtic Art:

In Celtic Art there are a lot of intricate designs and are very well made. These designs range from a lot of intricate spiral designs to designs of animals combined with spirals that reflect the social status in the society or morality significance. Some of the designs and their characteristics are:

The Halstatt: The designs of that time mainly consisted of basic geometrical shapes and designs. Their designs give you a feeling of tribality. Although they are basic they still show a great level of complexity.

The La Tene Style: In this style there are a lot of spirals and in it they were incorporating designs of leaves. These designs were also very intricate and when you view them in a certain angle you can see faces of human beings and animals. The design of this style was very organic.

The Zoomorphics: Designs of animals such as: hounds, snakes, birds, salmon and lions. Sometimes they put dragons on these kind of designs. Normally the animals are twisted on each other and their tails and ears coming out of other parts of the weaves.


The meanings of the symbols of the animals are these:
Hounds: a symbol of loyalty
Lions: a symbol that can reflect both nobility and strength
Snakes: a symbol of rebirth (Dragon or serpent designs may be interpreted the same as snakes)
Birds: a reflection of purity (peacocks) or nobility (eagles)
Salmon: symbolizes knowledge
Bull – symbolizes strength
Boar – a symbol of ferocity and strength


Aon Celtic Art. 2013. Aon Celtic Art. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.aon-celtic.com/trade_history_meanings.html. [Accessed 19 May 2013].

Aon Celtic Art. 2013. Aon Celtic Art. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.aon-celtic.com/cknotworkmeanings.html. [Accessed 19 May 2013].

Celtic Art: Insulars

Celtic Art: Insulars



      One of the earliest art of Ireland was influenced by the Celtic culture. Known as Insular art it was a highly decorative art with spirals, knot work, key patterns, crosses and zoomorphic imagery. One of the greatest examples of metalwork during the Christian era of Insular art is the Tara Brooch. This decorative pin dates from the eighth century and is made from silver, gold and copper filigree with an inlay of amber and glass beads. Created for a wealthy man, the design idea on front and back is composed with wolves heads and dragons faces. Named after the legendary Hillof Tara, seat of the High Kings of Ireland at that time, it was actually found in County Meath, Ireland during the mid-nineteenth century. Now it is displayed in the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin. Also in Dublin there is  the illuminated famous manuscript called “The Book of Kells” at Old Library at Trinity College.


        The masterpiece was produced at the beginning of the ninth century either in a monastery on the Isle of Iona, Scotland or at Kells in County Meath by Celtic monks transcribing the Four Gospels. The ornamental calligraphic script was written on vellum by several artists who used ten different rare and expensive dyes to render the intricate illustrations. Most famous and beautiful of the books pages is the Chi Ro page which made a lot of people think that the manuscript was the work of angels. Despite their artistic accomplishments the ancient Celts were often depicted as barbaric tribes as in the engraving by Flemish artist Lucas de Heere (1534 – 1584).



Porcelains and Peacocks: Spirals and Knots: Celtic Insular Art in Ireland. 2013. Porcelains and Peacocks: Spirals and Knots: Celtic Insular Art in Ireland. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.porcelainsandpeacocks.com/2010/03/spirals-and-knots-celtic-insular-art-in.html. [Accessed 18 May 2013].

De Stijl

De Stijl

      After the First World War, there was a turning away from old forms and philosophies amongst architects, designers, artists and writers. Many abstract ideas came into play. One of the most important trends of the 20th century was the increasing parallels and merging of art and design which has been separated since the end of the Renaissance.
De Stijl was formed in the early 1920’s by a group of architects and artists who were influenced by some of the ideas of DaDa.

     The founder of the publication and leader of the group was Theo van Doesburg, an architect together with Gerrit Rietveld and Piet Mondrian. 
The philosophy was based on functionalism. All surface decoration except colour had to be eliminated; only pure primary colours and black and white were allowed.

         They only managed to build very few of their designs so the most important thing about this group was definitely their ideas. Gerrit Rietveld’s house is the most complete realisation of De Stijl. The house, the furnishings and the decoration was all planned by Rietveld. 

       “The initial source of their ideas came from DaDa notions about dispensing with the pretentious elitist design aesthetics of the pre-war era. Some of the early work of Frank Lloyd Wright, which had been published in Europe in 1910, influenced their notions about form. Japanese sources were also of significance, though these ideas may have been derived through the work of Wright.”




De Stijl. 2013. De Stijl. [ONLINE] Available at:http://char.txa.cornell.edu/art/decart/destijl/decstijl.htm. [Accessed 18 May 2013].