Pop Art & Popular Culture

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Halcyon Gallery until August 30th

After following the colorful trail of Mr. Doodle through the West End, a 14-minute walk to Halcyon Gallery’s Pop Odyssey is a natural next stop.

The instantly recognizable imagery in both displays makes art feel accessible, engaging and easy to connect with. The gallery exhibit brings together artists and works spanning decades of popular culture, including:

  • Stan Lee (1922 - 2018) — a comic-book editor, publisher and writer who helped create Marvel’s superheroes — many of whom have become part of everyday popular culture
  • Andy Warhol (1928–1987) — took everyday consumer products, celebrities and mass-media images and turned them into fine art
  • Keith Haring (1958–1990) — developed a bold, distinctive style using simple lines, symbols and figures. His work moved beyond galleries into public spaces, connecting with a wider audience
  • James McQueen — a contemporary British artist who works under a pseudonym, drawing inspiration from vintage book covers, typography and Pop Art pioneers such as Haring and Warhol — giving familiar images a fresh twist

Alongside artists such as Dominic Harris and Santiago Montoya, the exhibition offers a fun, fresh take on how art and popular culture have influenced each other over the years.

www.halcyongallery.com
29 New Bond Street, London W1S 2TR

West End Doodle Art Trail

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Closes August 30th

British artist Mr. Doodle (real name Sam Cox) is known for his distinctive cartoon-style drawings.  He became famous for covering clothes, furniture, cars, rooms and buildings with faces, characters, monsters and repeated patterns.

He rose to fame online, where his nickname, ‘Mr. Doodle’, became his artistic identity and brought him attention in the art world beginning in 2015. Art of London, a cultural initiative focused on West End, presents Mr. Doodle’s Doodle Discovery, a free public art trail.

Follow the trail:
  • Blue Robot (Leicester Square) — Showcases ideas and suggestions shared by the local community
  • Orange Fish (Leicester Square) — Pays tribute to the magic of movies and London’s screen scene
  • Yellow Flower (Piccadilly Circus) — Inspired by the creativity, drama and excitement of London’s West End
  • Pink Shmug (Piccadilly Circus) — Features doodles inspired by London’s art scene of exhibits and galleries
  • Red Cyclops (St James Market) — Highlights London’s food scene
    and its delicious discoveries
  • Mr. Doodle West End Wall (St James Market) — An entire courtyard wall adjacent to Red Cyclops is covered in hand-drawn black-and-white characters

If you don’t get a chance to visit before the trail closes, there’s also a semi-permanent piece in Leake Street Tunnel. It’s protected by plexiglass, making it about as permanent as graffiti can get on these ever-changing walls.


For more pop art, check out the next post on Pop Odyssey at Halcyon Gallery.