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Step 1
Study American Pop Art in order to recognize the roots of Pop Art from Spain.
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Step 2
Read "Arroyo" by Pierre Astier at Amazon (see Resources below). The Spanish artist Eduardo Arroyo began his career as a caricaturist in Parisian bars. He can be labeled as a Pop Artist because of his environmental interests, his critique of media culture which incorporates the icons of mass media and communication, his disdain of nearly all established artistic styles and his use of cartoon-like shapes and block color.
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Step 3
Check out "Pop Impressions Europe/USA: Prints and Multiples from the Museum of Modern Art" by Wendy Weitman, Mimmo Rotella, Eduardo Arroyo and Enrico Baj at Amazon (see Resources below). This book includes samples of the work of 60 Pop artists from Spain, Europe and America. It will add to your understanding of the pop art movement worldwide.
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Step 4
Learn about "Equipo Cronica," the influential Pop Art group of 1960s Spain. Founded by Rafael Solbes and Manuel Valdes, the group combined elements of American Pop Art with figurative aesthetics to create works that questioned the history of art and criticized Spanish politics.
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Step 5
Familiarize yourself with Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dali, considered by many as the first Pop Art star of painting, at the Salvador Dali Museum (see Resources below).
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Step 6
Research the paintings of Alfredo Alcaín, the Spaniard who could be considered the most authentic Pop artist. Like many American Pop artists, Alcaín made use of popular images and empty spaces in his art work.
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Step 7
Acquaint yourself with Spanish politics. Since much of the Pop Art in Spain was created as a reaction to Spanish politics and the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, knowledge of Spanish political affairs in the 1960s is valuable in helping you to recognize Spanish Pop Art.
