Join us for the OP/POP reception and talk. Highlights from Indiana State University’s Permanent Art Collection.
Curated by: Dr. Lars Kokkonen, Permanent Art Collection Curator
Reception: Mar 19, 4-6pm
Talk: Mar 19, 4:30pm (Turman Gallery)
Duration: Mar 2- 27, 2026
Location: Turman Gallery (Fine Arts Building)
649 Chestnut Street, Terre Haute, IN 47809
Hours: M-F 11am-4pm, open until 6pm on Thursdays
https://indianastate.edu/academics/colleges/art...
All exhibitions are free and open to the public. This means family and friends are welcome.:)
Partnership: Permanent Art Collection
https://artcollection.indianastate.edu/
About:
The exhibition, OP/POP, drawn from the rich holdings of Indiana State University’s Permanent Art Collection, showcases work by iconic Op and Pop artists. Op Art (or Optical Art) and Pop Art flourished in the US and Europe in the 1960s and 1970s largely as a reaction to the dominance of Abstract Expressionism after World War II. Unlike Abstract Expressionist painters, Op and Pop artists employed an impersonal approach to art production that distanced itself from the emotional dimension of the creative act and questioned the uniqueness of the art object. An emphasis on seriality and repetition over singularity was also a key concern of both movements.
However, while Op Art used geometric forms and vibrant or black-and-white color juxtapositions to create optical illusions of movement and depth, Pop Art borrowed recognizable imagery from popular culture, such as advertising, newspapers, television, films and comic books.
By presenting these two artistic movements in dialogue, the exhibition aims to deepen the audience’s understanding of each while highlighting the enduring influence of the pioneers of Op and Pop Art.