Eduardo Paolozzi

“The godfather of Pop Art”, Eduardo Paolozzi was a Scottish artist whose practice spans decades and is considered one of the most innovative of the 20th century. Created out of magazines and other found objects, his large-scale figurative collages, sculptures and prints are reminiscent of Surrealist and Cubist traditions merged with new notions of popular culture, machinery and technology. Paolozzi was born to an Italian immigrant family deeply affected by the divisive nature of World War II. As a result, his work is a lifelong exploration of human nature being affected by the external forces one cannot control, and the ambiguous consequences of that which is deemed “progress”. The questions of individual identity as opposed to cultural uniformity trace through his practice fascinated with American and consumerist emblems, giving birth to what soon will be known as Pop Art. Thus, his momentous contribution to the movement of art crosses not only borders and time, but also boundaries of imagination. Written by Goldsmiths CCA