Soup Cans & Superstars: How Pop Art Changed the World
Alastair Sooke champions pop art as one of the most important art forms of the 20th century, peeling back its frothy, ironic surface to reveal subversive wit and radical ideas.
Alastair Sooke champions pop art as one of the most important art forms of the 20th century, peeling back pop's frothy, ironic surface to reveal an art style full of subversive wit and radical ideas.
In charting its story, Alastair brings a fresh eye to the work of pop art superstars Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein and tracks down pop's pioneers, from American artists like James Rosenquist, Claes Oldenburg and Ed Ruscha to British godfathers Peter Blake and Allen Jones.
Alastair also explores how pop's fascination with celebrity, advertising and the mass media was part of a global art movement, and he travels to China to discover how a new generation of artists are reinventing pop art's satirical, political edge for the 21st century.
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Clips
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Alastair Sooke meets French artist Nicola L
Duration: 02:02
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Alastair Sooke meets Claes Oldenburg
Duration: 01:06
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Alastair Sooke visits Sir Peter Blake in his studio
Duration: 02:52
Music Played
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The Four Seasons
Walk Like A Man
- Warner Music UK Ltd.
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Sandy Nelson
Drumming Up a Storm
- Not Now Music Ltd.
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The Hunters
Teen Scene
- Mercury Records.
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The Velvelettes
Really Saying Something
- universal.
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Woody Guthrie
Hard Travellin
- Not Now Music Ltd.
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Lou Donaldson
Blues Walk
- EMI.
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Cannonball Adderley
Autumn Leaves
- Prestige Elite Records.
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Herbie Hancock
Watermelon Man
- EMI.
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John Coltrane
My Favourite Things
- Pickwick.
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Miles Davis
All Blues
- Cherry Red Records Ltd.
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Henry Mancini
Brief and Breezy
- Sony Music Entertainment UK Ltd.
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Roger Roger
Roger Mambo
- Galerie.
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Stereolab
Fiery Yellow
- Duophonic.
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Murcof
A Lesson for the Future
- leaf label.
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Battles
Africastle
- warp.
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Aphex Twin
Goon Gumpas
- Warp.
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Squarepusher
Tommib Help buss
- Warp.
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Squarepusher
Tommib
- Warp.
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Dave Brubeck
Back to Earth
- Sony Music Entertainment UK Ltd.
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Odetta
Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child
- Ace Recordings.
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Mr. Acker Bilk and His Paramount Jazz Band
Delia Gone
- Fellside Recordings Ltd.
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Jimmy Riley
House of Sweets
- Atmos.
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Peter, Paul and Mary
Puff the Magic Dragon
- Jasmine.
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The Challengers
Adventures in Paradise
- Warner Music UK Ltd.
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Dick Dale
Third Stone from the Sun
- Beggars Banquet Recordings.
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Al Martino
Here in My Heart
- EMI.
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New Century Orchestra
Metropolis
- Guild GmBH.
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Aphex Twin
Goon Gumpas
- Warp.
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Ludovico Einaudi
Fly
- decca.
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The Chordettes
Mister Sandman
- Not Now Music Ltd.
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Chuck Berry
Chuckwalk
- Universal.
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The Four Preps
Got a Girl
- Universal.
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Doug Sheldon
Your Ma Said You Cried
- Not Now Music Ltd.
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Bert Jansch
Angie
- Sanctuary.
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Gillian Hills
Zou Bisou Bisou
- Cherry Red Records Ltd.
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Petula Clark
Petite Fleur
- Sony BMG/FLG.
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Donovan
Mellow Yellow
- Parlophone Records Limited.
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Chet Baker
Tenderly
- EMI.
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American Brass Band
La Marseillaise
- cobra.
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Sandy Nelson
In Beat
- capitol.
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Roger Roger
Approaching Danger
- galerie.
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The Knife
Na Na Na
- brille.
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Tangerine Dream
Burning Bar
- virgin.
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Battles
Atlas
- Warp.
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Holy F***
Silva & Grimes
- Beggard Banquet Records Ltd.
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Battles
Africastle
- warp.
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The Four Seasons
Walk Like A Man (2007 Remastered Version)
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Lou Donaldson
The Blues Walk
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John Coltrane
My Favorite Things
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Battles
Africastle
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Aphex Twin
Goon Gumpas
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The Chordettes
Mister Sandman
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Wendy Carlos
The Funeral Of Queen Mary
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Gillian Hills
Zou Bisou Bisou
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Donovan
Mellow Yellow
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Battles
Atlas
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Presenter | Alastair Sooke |
| Producer | Jude Ho |
| Director | Jude Ho |
| Executive Producer | Richard Bright |
| Unit Manager | Lisa Phelan |
Broadcasts
Featured in...
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Pop Art Idols
A collection of documentaries from 麻豆社 Four's Pop Art season.
麻豆社 Four Goes Pop
A week-long celebration of Pop Art across 麻豆社 Four, Radio and Online.
Soup Cans and Superstars: Online exclusives
Jeremy Deller on Warhol & Alastair Sooke meets Pop artist Tom Wesselman's family.
The Pop Art Playlist
麻豆社 Music celebrates the Pop Art season with a playlist of tracks from the programmes.
When Art Went Pop...
A Pop Art timeline, from early collages to soup and celebrities in its 1960s heyday.
Scottish Pop
Can Pop Art really trace its origins to the work of a couple of artists from Scotland?
Dividing Opinion
A Career in Quotes: What the critics said about controversial Pop Artist Allen Jones.
Heroes of German Pop
Exploring the exquisite colours of German Pop at an exhibition in Frankfurt.